Ex-professional boxer reveals vision for 'wreck' and 'unsafe' Gracemount Mansion

Calls to transform a derelict Edinburgh mansion into a community facility have received widespread local backing.

Gracemount Mansion, situated at Gracemount House Drive, has been closed since April 2018 due to safety risks, including water damage and general lack of maintenance.

Now local ex-professional boxer and personal trainer Brian Forsyth has revealed his visions for the space to be transformed into a community boxing gym to support youth work and mental health through sport and exercise.

Mr Forsyth, 33, from The Inch, said: “With the right people behind it, it could all be up and running within two years. Everyone in the community is passionate about it, and local labourers and plasters are keen to help get it off the ground”.

A number of barriers sit in the way: the building must be “fit for purpose”, in addition to the costs and responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of such a building.

In a 2018 assessment of work necessary to bring the Grade B listed building back to good order, the costs listed were in excess of £1 million.

In recent years, there have been reports of youths breaking into the mansion.

Mr Forsyth said: “If the building is deemed unsafe, why did they not make it secure enough for kids not to get in? It’s a sitting target for vandalism.”

He believes that the increased antisocial behaviour in the area is down to the lack of youth space: “They’re shutting down community centres left right and centre. The community is crying out for something of this magnitude to give the kids something to do and keep them out of trouble.”

Built in the late 18th Century, the house and estate were gifted to Edinburgh Corporation, now Edinburgh City Council, after the death of its owner in 1920.

The building was previously used as a nursing home as well as a youth and community centre before its closure two years ago.

Andy Prime, 33, pastor for Gracemount Community Church, said: “The mansion was a community gathering point. It was used seven days a week for everything – community meals, mums and toddler groups, the church. It’s now a wreck and it’s a picture of the community at large: the people of Gracemount, and our social and educational needs, have been overlooked.”

Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, supports the proposal: “In this post-Covid world, people realise more than ever the need for good quality community spaces. The whole community has had to come together to help each other throughout this trying time.

“This is a council issue: the building is in a state of disrepair and they should be biting people like Brian’s hands off for their willingness to get involved.”

An Edinburgh City Council spokesperson said: “A number of community organisations have expressed an interest in taking on Gracemount Mansion since it closed in 2018 due to safety reasons. We have been supporting them in exploring opportunities for a Community Asset Transfer to secure its future and we’re happy to offer advice and guidance. The building requires a significant level of investment and in the current financial climate it’s just not possible for the council to identify the available capital.”