Back in October 2016, during a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Banner of Truth Trust, a discussion was initiated about the suitability of the facilities in Edinburgh for the future operation of the Trust.

By November 2017 it was agreed that the current premises were not adequate. Neither the warehouse nor the office facilities that The Banner of Truth Trust had been operating from since 1973 were suitable for the future operations of the Trust.

The processes of producing a book have changed radically in the last 25-30 years, and the spaces for editorial and production activities were causing difficulties for the publishing work. Space for staff was short, the office layout was not conducive to cooperative working. Neither were there facilities for recording videos and audio for new developments such as the podcast. We also wanted to expand the conference work to host ‘mini-conferences’ on-site, but it very quickly became obvious that this would not be possible in the current facilities.

In addition to this, the office in Edinburgh regularly receives visitors from all over the world. But the ability to host these visitors is very limited, and there is no space to display historical details of the work of the Trust, and no dedicated retail space for visitors from far and near to browse and buy Banner books. We also have a collection of books, some quite historical, which are spread throughout the current building. They are used by our editorial team, but they are helpful resources that we would like others to be able to access. However, the idea of putting together a library display of them was impossible to realise.

The warehouse was nearing capacity and the storage in the warehouse itself is a very old design which could not realistically be upgraded. The layout of the storage requires excessive manual handling activities, posing a health and safety concern. The warehouse site is also limited by access difficulties – the entrance is very difficult for trucks to negotiate, which means that we have to specifically ask for small trucks when we are having book deliveries arriving from the printers.

Another matter that was identified was the separation of the warehouse and office premises. The office is based in Murrayfield and the warehouse in Sighthill, with about five miles between the two. The ideal is to have the office and warehouse co-located to enable more efficient communication and staffing.

In November 2017, the trustees agreed that agents could be instructed to begin a property search to address the need for new premises. Ahead of that starting, consultants were engaged to help in analysing the warehouse storage and pick-and-pack operations and to provide outline proposals and designs for a warehouse facility that would provide the required storage and packing areas for taking the operation into the next 50 years.

By November 2018, the warehouse analysis was completed, and office space requirements developed. Property agents were appointed to conduct the search for existing property that could be adapted to fit our requirements. As the search progressed it was agreed to widen it to include potential sites that could be purchased for us to purpose-build a new facility.

The next two years seemed to pass quickly, and of course the problems of Covid did not help, but by October 2020 a large amount of work had been completed, including feasibility studies, draft designs, and property searches. Only one existing building had been identified as having potential, and three possible locations were identified as places where land could be purchased and a new facility constructed.

Negotiations were started with landowners and developers, which lasted for about two years. The possibility of utilizing an existing building was followed up, but this eventually had to be ruled out for planning restriction reasons. Of the potential sites that had been identified, one was part of a much larger development, the timing of which did not fit with our own, and there were complications over planning restrictions that made it difficult to see a way ahead. Another potential site was owned by a large local property company who had a change of policy and became reluctant to consider a land sale. By September 2022, things were stalling, but providentially, while driving on the A7 road south of Edinburgh, a member of staff noticed a small ‘For Sale’ sign at the side of the road. On returning to the office and making some enquiries, it became apparent that a three-acre site was for sale that would suit the purposes of a new location for the Banner of Truth Trust.

In November 2022 an offer for the land was accepted by the owners. The offer was conditional on being able to gain planning permission for a building on the land, and on positive results from site condition testing.

Many visitors to Edinburgh don’t venture far out of the city centre, and so their impression of the city is a place full of beautiful historic buildings. As a result, the industrial heritage of the wider Edinburgh and Lothians district is missed by many of the city’s visitors. Dating back many years, much of the area has been home to a significant coal mining industry. It is thought that the first mines were started in the thirteenth century by monks from Newbattle Abbey, not far from where the proposed new building will be constructed. Records exist of mining activities in more recent years, but in some parts of the area, there are indications and stories of shallow mining activities from before the records began. As a result, before planning consent is given it is a requirement to perform a mining analysis and this, in our case, included not just an examination of records but intrusive borehole investigations, drilling to 60-metre (197 feet) depth. The results were positive, meaning that no remedial restoration work was required, and other land investigations raised no issues.

A full planning application required a completed building design showing internal layouts, external cladding proposals, site access and parking designs, and landscaping proposals. Environmental surveys and ecological surveys were needed and the site design was accommodated to the survey results.

All of the planning application work was completed and an application submitted to the local authority for approval. A backwards-and-forwards process then ensued, refining the proposal to a point where the planning authorities were ‘minded’ to grant planning permission. In late 2024, after nearly two years of work, the land was purchased and the official planning consent was granted in January 2025.

Since January, the building design has been finalized and detail design work conducted. Foundations have been designed, structural design has been completed, mechanical and electrical installations have been designed, and interior construction details have been specified. All of this has been done in order to apply for a building warrant (construction permit), which will then allow building work to commence. It is expected that the building warrant will be granted around August 2025.

Once the Building Warrant is granted then the contractors are able to plan their mobilisation to start work on the site. It is hoped that this start can be made in late 2025 and the building work completed in a little over one year.