A consultation has opened on plans to build a new Greendykes Primary School and Early Years Centre as part of an enhanced community hub co-located with Jack Kane Centre
Residents are being asked to share their feedback on ideas to build a new primary school and early years facility to meet the growing demand from housing developments in Craigmillar and Niddrie.
Previous community engagement suggested that the best place for this new school could be alongside Jack Kane Centre in Hunter’s Hall Park, and that services provided by Greengables Nursery could also move to this new school site with an Early Years facility.
This approach would also allow much-needed improvements to be made to Jack Kane Sports Centre, Jack Kane Community Centre and wider Hunter’s Hall Park to create a vibrant community campus.
Current plans also include the construction of a competition-standard BMX track in Hunter’s Hall Park. The Council’s vision is to ensure the BMX track is accessible to all, particularly providing more opportunities for young people to take part in sport and physical activity.
To allow a new primary school, a competition standard BMX track and supporting infrastructure to be built at Hunter’s Hall Park, the Common Good status would need to be removed from parts of the northern end of the park.
Altogether, the plans are designed to deliver new, fit for purpose services and better leisure and education facilities that support people across the local area.
A new primary school and early years centre with changes to catchment areas
The survey seeks views on plans to close and relocate Greengables Nursery to Hunter’s Hall Park as part of the development of the new 14 class non-denominational primary school with an Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC), which would feed into Castlebrae Community Campus.
The proposals are for the staff, children and ethos of Greengables Nursery to move to a new Early Learning and Childcare Centre at the new school. This would provide greater capacity, allowing more children to attend and families to access a greater range of services, while co-location with the primary school would help to improve pupils’ transition from nursery to primary.
These changes would necessitate a new catchment area for the new primary school and changes to the catchment areas of Castleview Primary School, Niddrie Mill Primary School, Brunstane Primary School, Newcraighall Primary School, Castlebrae Community Campus and Portobello High School.
Improvements to Jack Kane Centre and Hunter’s Hall Park
Under the proposals, the Jack Kane Centre would be improved to expand the facilities and services it offers,. Co-locating the new primary school with the Community Centre and Sports Centre would provide opportunities for different learning experiences for children and health, wellbeing and social opportunities for families.
As part of these developments, improvements could also be made to Hunter’s Hall Park to address accessibility and safety, with better lighting and more active travel routes while enhancing existing spaces and encouraging greater biodiversity.
Should these proposals progress, further community engagement would be undertaken to develop a design for the new school and the redevelopment of the Jack Kane Centre and how this could look and function. Further community engagement would also take place to inform the design and operation of the BMX facility.
Detailed planning permission would also be needed for the school building and grounds which will provide the community with more opportunities to comment on the design of the school and its location.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener said:
These proposals cover a lot of ground but present a clear idea: a new primary school and early years centre at the heart of our community, breathing new life and bringing fresh investment into Hunter’s Hall Park and Jack Kane Centre.
We need to make smart choices to invest in the future of the area, and have an opportunity to develop a range of better, more modern and accessible services for people across Niddrie and Craigmillar.
Together, these proposals improve value for money and expand and improve the services and facilities already offered at Hunter’s Hall Park. This investment would help to make the park a safer, more accessible and more enjoyable place to spend time while ensuring everyone can live well locally.
The proposals have been designed using the feedback from previous engagement, but we need to make sure they work for everyone. This consultation is a fantastic opportunity to make sure people’s views are heard and taken into account as plans progress in more detail.
The consultation on the proposals is now open and will close on Tuesday 9 December 2025.
There are also several in-person meetings scheduled to give people the opportunity to learn more about the proposals and express their views.
Public meetings with representatives of the Council present to outline the proposals, assist discussions and answer questions will take place on the following dates:
- Thursday 13 November, 18:30 – 20:30 at Castleview Primary School
- Tuesday 25 November, 18:30 – 20:30 at Greengables Nursery
Public drop-in events will also take place where attendees can speak with Council officers to find out more about the proposals and share their views:
- Thursday 30 October, 16:30 – 19:00 at Jack Kane Community Centre
- Monday 3 November, 16:30 – 19:00 at Castlebrae Community Campus
- Wednesday 3 December, 14:30 – 17:00 at Niddrie Mill & St Francis Primary Schools
The project team is also continuing to meet with local community groups and businesses as part of the consultation process.