The Kintyre Forum

The Campbeltown Town Hall project is at a busy stage where we are looking for you to help us to demonstrate that there is community support for the transfer of the Campbeltown Town Hall from Argyll & Bute Council to community ownership through the South Kintyre Development Trust, and that the community will use the refurbished and accessible Town Hall to cover running costs. The Trust can then access funds of approximately £1.3 million to refurbish and reopen the Town Hall to the community.

You can find out all the ways you can help as an individual, group, organisation or business at http://campbeltowntownhall.org/node/56

Would you like to help the Campbeltown Town Hall project as a volunteer?

The South Kintyre Development Trust is looking for volunteers to help with admin support, distributing leaflets and posters, website / social networking support, promoting, organising and helping at activities / events, and speaking to community groups.

The project is holding a meeting of people who might like to volunteer on Thursday the 14th February at 1pm at Campbeltown Town Hall.

The Trust is also looking for young people (18-25) to come on the Board of Trustees to help steer the organisation's priorities to make sure that the needs of younger people are met.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering with the South Kintyre Development Trust then contact Tracy Grant at the office in Burnside Square on 01586 552870 or email tracyskdt@gmail.com

http://campbeltowntownhall.org/node/57

It's a pity some more of that £1.3 Million could not be used to get the town repaired

The place is falling apart at the seams

maxmix

A lot of money has been spent on the town centre. Just imagine how Main Street and Longrow would look now without the work that has been carried out by the THI on shopfronts/window repairs not to mention major works such as the refurbishment that is currently taking place on the building in Kirk Street. Or the major investment that has taken place in regard to the Royal Hotel. The main problem with the town centre lies in absentee landlords who 'buy properties up and rent 'em cheap' having no regard for the state that their property falls into over time and taking no steps to rectify the problem. The Town Hall is such an important building to the look and the history of the town and anybody who is putting the time,effort and cash behind restoring it to its full glory can only be appluaded.

As I have no intention of standing for the Council, Holyrood, Westminster or Brussels (are we still members ?) I have no need to appeal to certain people regarding the future of the Town Hall.

A building constructed by 19th century craftsmen that needs to be maintained by 21st century tradesmen is sadly going to be lacking in the care and attention to detail needed to return it to its original condition.

The £1.3 million is but a beginning, going forwards more substantial funds will be required and, as time goes on, it will regrettably become a money-pit for time immemorable.

An examination of future projected income and expenditure, combined with the current outlays, would suggest to even the most elementary economist that the concept of cost-benefit analysis has been overlooked by the "Save Our Town Hall" campaigners, the building is not particularly "fit for purpose" in the modern era and should have been replaced by a modern "elderly and disabled friendly" structure with associated on-site parking facilities.

The idea that we must salvage and re-use every dilapidated building close to the centre of town is a folly. Might I suggest to the "Save the Wee Toon" campaigners that they turn their attention to the disused courthouse in Bolgam Street, a building far more likely to collapse in upon itself than the Town Hall, although what becomes of it thereafter would again be something not as cost effective as a demolition and new-build on the same site.

adoptedscot suggests that absentee landlords are the main problem with the town centre. Might I alternatively suggest that the town centre was already in gradual decline before the bulk of the absentee landlords discovered how cheap the properties were in the town, and that equally it is listed building and conservation area regulations that actually hinder the "sprucing up" of many a tired old tenement. Traditional building materials are all very good, and yes timber sash windows are nicer to look at than upvc, but those leaky roofs that need re-slated with materials from a quarry closed in 1955 at Ballachulish might just have to wait until reusable second-hand items become available and at a price that is acceptable.

muppetanimal wrote:The £1.3 million is but a beginning, going forwards more substantial funds will be required and, as time goes on, it will regrettably become a money-pit for time immemorable.

The building is not particularly "fit for purpose" in the modern era and should have been replaced by a modern "elderly and disabled friendly" structure with associated on-site parking facilities.

The idea that we must salvage and re-use every dilapidated building close to he centre of town is a folly.

All 3 statements are spot on !

maxmix

I would just keep the clock tower.