KINTYRE PUBLIC ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND DROP IN SESSION

[kintyre56]

John S, see previous post - there is no info on the council website re any costings which was a previous question on this forum. Can you please tell us what has been spent so far on consultants and other expenses and what the proposed cost of each the options is? We want to know how the £6.5m is to be spent.

[D.H]

susan the whole point of the funding available is to bring it up to modern standards for DDA, Food Hygene, Fire Exit etc. this will also increase the capacity of the hall as it is fire reg that restrict it.

John just to reiterate Susan's point that at the public seminar attended by over a 100 people, following on from a thorough and detailed assessment of community needs, as you know the Town Hall was indeed rejected as it did not meet the needs of the cultural / arts community. As you also know this was also assessed to be the case by professional architects with experience of working in cultural / arts design at the time, as well as by Glasgow Council's well know cultural / arts architect, Kerr Roberston, and the Operations Manager for the Glasgow Concert Hall, Fruitmarket, etc, Phil Smith, who are both giving the arts / cultural community in Kintyre their time free gratis because they see the support and passion of the community for this essential piece of infrastructure.

It is just a pity that Argyll & Bute Council is unable to be so supportive to the cultural / arts community. But then again the Council has only one officer dedicated to culture and the arts to cover all of the area. So I think it is obvious how little the Council thinks of the arts / culture community, except when they need them to build a case to get funding.

[John S]

Deirdre, I hear what you say and am happy, as I have already said, to do what i can to assist if invited.

[kintyre56]

But you still haven't answered the previous question regarding costings - where has the money gone so far and where is the rest going?

[£3.73]

Perhaps a cultural/arts centre could be removed to a different thread, as it had no representation at the CHORD drop-in.

But just to add my own tuppence worth, I know more about the science of acoustics than any of your "architects".
(and psycho-acoustics ... the human perception of sound)
Short of demanding world class concert facilities, the acoustic properties of any space you care to mention can be altered to suit at fairly minimal cost. (and provide a multi-functional acoustic space).

Don't use acoustics as an argument if you want any creedence... if you know what you're talking about, it's a non-starter.

(excellent acoustics won't enhance bad music ... in fact quite the opposite)

.... and this is why top of the range studio monitors cost a fortune .... they enhance every flaw & imperfection !

btw this is without prejudice. Not knocking culture & arts at all .... in fact, hopefully, you can take it on board & it might strengthen your case. Good luck.

[D.H]

Perhaps a cultural/arts centre could be removed to a different thread, as it had no representation at the CHORD drop-in.

Hi £3.73 - that was the point.

As to the acoustics - the Town hall was ruled out on many different factors.

Thanks for your input though.

[Kintyre Forum News]

But you still haven't answered the previous question regarding costings - where has the money gone so far and where is the rest going?

We receieved the following response to a similar enquiry from the Council's CHORD programme manager Nicola Denham. Again it doesn't clearly identify the actual projects.

The following link gives background information to the CHORD programme, the Outline Business Case prepared for each town and the approval to proceed with the programme.

http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/moderngov ... 3360&Ver=4

The background to many of the projects within the CHORD Programme stemmed from the Structure Plan, which provides the strategic overview for investment opportunities in our key towns. In turn, the Local Plan recognised these opportunities and proposed a series of, “Areas for Action”. A series of town centre studies, based on the Areas for Action, were undertaken with our communities – e.g. the Yellow Book Study in Campbeltown. This resulted in a range of economic development opportunities being identified, which in turn led to the development of Outline Business Cases for CHORD. All of these steps were consulted upon.

Apparently this information was also available at the CHORD Open Day. Perhaps it was just the KFN but there wasn't a great deal of information available. Certainly didn't clearly define where the money was going.

[John S]

Kintyre56, Given that the CHORD project is based on a collection of aspirational ideas for economic regeneration of the town centre and waterfront, the cost of each of these elements cannot be accurately defined at an early stage. The £6.5 million is the share of the funding which comes directly from Council borrowing forms the foundation of the project. The original estimated cost was, I think, in the region of £11 million, the difference coming from funding by external partners with whom there will be a level of flexibility depending on how each element of the project progresses.
The detailed plans for all the different elements are currently being worked up. None of the work involved can be plucked off-the-shelf and the final cost of each element will depend on decisions made by the CHORD project board on how to progress each element, depending on the different options that are brought to the board.
Given that the council is progressing 5 such projects across Argyll & Bute it is inevitable that
Consultants are used to develop plans; The council does not carry the level of expert staff to drive forward such an ambitious £30million regeneration programme internally. Progress on the projects will be posted on The Councils website as they develop and minutes of decisions made by the project board will also be available there as appropriate.

[Davie P]

I don't think the Sporting Community or the Arts Cultural Community should have to be up against each other for anything in Campbeltown. So we have two very strong local groups and neither of these communities is benefiting from the CHORD project - a real missed opportunity yet again. We really should learn a valuable lesson from the Aqualibrium - a consultant and architects wet dream but a missed opportunity for the Community. ( a widely shared opinion in Campbeltown with regards the actual facilities the town got for £8.5 million...)

While economic benefit is the main player in the project we should also be looking to the future and there is no point having all this inward investment if there is little to move the people here and indeed keep them here.

Sorry, sounds like mush but I know what I mean in my minced up heid!!

[D.H]

I couldn't agree more Davie P.

[Kintyre Forum News]

Interesting to read on the following report presented to the CHORD Project Board on Friday that additional funding is now being sought for passing places, parking and variable message signs.

One of the possible proposals for a new car park is the triangle area as bus stance! The lovely area where the flower beds, seats etc are. You do have to wonder where some of these proposals come from!!

Also interesting to read how additional funding is now being sought for these?

http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/moderngov ... ocA.ps.pdf

[kintyre56]

Yes, its very worrying! One does have to wonder where the accountability in all this lies. We are denied access to the costings re the CHORD project - and there is nothing but evasion and flannel(see previous postings). We are denied any opportunity for meaningful and continuous consultation. An ego trip for certain Councillors perhaps? Let us all see the accounts - there is supposed to be "open government"!

[John S]

Kintyre 56 I am happy to do whatever I can to inform you, however I am getting a bit sick of being stalked by you, there is more to your comments than a genuine interest in this community - reading back through your posts shows an interest in singling me out for criticism, the only councillor posting on here!

I am happy to deal with criticism, however not for someone hiding behind an alias. Tell us the exact information you seek and sign it with your real name then everyone can be fully informed and judge your motives.