What have we done?
Winning the CARS Grant
The local community had become increasingly concerned that the appearance of the town was not as pristine as expected of such a historic town such as Inveraray and organised partitions and sought support to seek the necessary funding to address these issues. Argyll and Bute Council commissioned conservation accredited consultants to carry out a survey of the conservation area within the town and this provided the necessary information to make an application for Historic Scotland’s CARS (Conservation and Regeneration Scheme) and Lottery’s THI (Town Heritage Initiative) funding. Priority buildings were identified, which were seen as particularly important in terms of townscape and heritage. A visual survey and a infrared photography survey identified dampness / water ingress issues and building elements which were defective. The Council was successful in attracting a CARS grant but not the THI grant. The owners within the identified Priority Buildings will be able to apply for grant funding, which is from Historic Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council, to tackle eligible works. Typical eligible works would include: re-roofing; chimneys; external wall fabric; rainwater goods; window and door repairs. As this is funded from Historic Scotland the emphasis is on repair and reinstatement of original historic features using traditional skills and craftsmanship. The Community Hall, which is listed as a Building at Risk, has a financial allocation to allow a option appraisal to take place. There is also an element of the grant set aside for small building repairs throughout the conservation area and for shopfront improvements. Finally these is a sum within the grant for training in traditional building skills.
Launching the CARS Programme
There was a Public Consultation Drop in Event in August 2012 to explain the scheme. This was followed by a series of presentations through 2013 from the Consultant team giving feedback on the information from the building survey carried out in Inveraray. The individual owners within the Priority Buildings were encouraged to create a suitable management structure such as an Owners Association so the they could apply for grants. At the beginning of 2014 a CARS Officer was appointed to advise and manage grant applications and there is ongoing discussions with Owners Associations.
Argyll and Bute Council are currently advertising on the portal for Conservation Accredited Consultants for a Framework, which Priority Building Owners Associations can use to appoint their Professional Advisor.
The CARS Officer is holding Drop-in events to publicise the availability of the small repairs grant scheme.
The CARS Officer has been in discussion with community representatives with regards to funding an option appraisal for the Community Hall and is investigating the involvement of a Building Preservation Trust to bring in the necessary external funding and a viable business case.
What will we do in Inveraray?
The Big Picture
The CARS Grants will improve the visual appearance of Inveraray reinforcing the wonderful townscape qualities and emphasising the important historic character and unique setting of the town. The improvements to the Priority Buildings, which are set at strategic points through the town, will act as a catalyst for this regeneration. They will have maintenance programmes to ensure that the improved appearance will endure.
The Priority Projects
We will provide grants for owners within Priority buildings to carryout eligible repairs and improvements. To qualify for the CARS Grant the owners of the Priority Projects will need to agree to meet their percentage of the cost of the works. All the owners in the property must agree to the project proceeding and appoint a Conservation Accredited Professional Consultant to carry out the survey works, complete the contract documentation, apply for all permissions and tender the works. We will provide grant funding for successful applications allowing the tender to be let and the contractor to carry out the works. The owners will need to agree to put in place a regime of maintenance to ensure that the grant funded works have a long term benefit.
The Small Repair Works & Shopfronts
We will provide grants for successful applications for eligible works to historic buildings within the Conservation Area. Typical small grant works will include eligible minor repairs to roofing, chimneys, render, rainwater goods and windows and doors. The Shopfront grant is targeted at reducing the impact of commercial signs, revealing the original frontage and returning the streetscape to it’s historic appearance. The owner / owners appoint a Conservation Accredited Professional to provide a specification of required works and obtain a competitive tender, which they then submit with their grant application for approval to the CARS Officer.
The Community Hall
We will investigate carrying out an options appraisal to develop a business case to seek to save this Building at Risk.
Training in Traditional Building Skills and Crafts
We will meet with local Colleges and building trade businesses to discuss up-skilling in traditional building techniques.