Community plan for former church

A community group in Edinburgh has become the first organisation in an urban area to benefit from community right-to-buy powers with the purchase of a former church.

Action Porty intends to transform the former Portobello Old Parish Church into a multi-use community hub.

The group was awarded almost £650,000 from the government-funded Scottish Land Fund towards the acquisition. Legislation passed in 2015 extended the right of communities to buy land to include urban areas.