Historic Rothesay buildings get repair grant funding

Argyle St, Rothesay

 

A traditional shopfront in Rothesay will be brought back to its former glory thanks to a grant of more than £50,000.

Councillors on the Bute and Cowal Area committee recently approved the release of £51,680 from the Rothesay Townscape Heritage fund to support the full-scale repair of the shopfront at 19a, 19b and 20b Argyle Street in the town.

Additionally, committee members were updated on the award of £78,066 for shopfront work to be carried out on 69-71 Montague Street in Rothesay.

Councillor Alastair Redman, Policy Lead for Economic Growth, said: “These grants will allow two properties in important locations in Rothesay to be restored to their best, which will make the area more attractive for shoppers, both from nearby and those visiting the area. We are pleased to support this work as part of the Rothesay Townscape Heritage project.”

The Rothesay Townscape Heritage (TH) Phase 2 project (LINK: https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/news/2018/dec/rothesay-townscape-heritage-th-phase-2-project-update-presented-councillors) is a five-year heritage-led regeneration project that will allow property owners to safeguard historic buildings and shopfronts while also developing skills and hosting events celebrating the island of Bute’s heritage.

The partnership project – which has been running since October 2017 and will continue through to September 2022 – is funded by £1,888,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF); £500,000 from Historic Environment Scotland (HES); £200,000 from Argyll and Bute Council; £70,249 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE); £65,800 from the LEADER Programme; and £21,500 from Paths for All. The total project fund amounts to £2,746,049. Funds will be administered as grants to property owners for a variety of repairs and refurbishments.

Previous work carried out on Bute as part of the project includes renovations to the Winter Gardens Discovery Centre, repairs to a historic tenement at 73 Victoria Street, and upgrades to the Bute Island Alliance’s Bank: Enterprise Space on the site of the former Clydesdale Bank.