More than £7 million awarded in City Heritage Trust grants

Funding of almost £8 million has been awarded for heritage projects in Scotland’s six cities. The  grants from Historic Scotland will be used to enhance conservation areas and maintain historic sites.

Edinburgh projects already mentioned include work on monuments in Greyfriars Kirkyard, repairs to an original Victorian shop front, and restoration of a 19th Century listed building. Dundee will see work take place within conservation areas, including work on ‘at risk’ buildings, together with further investment in the Riverside and Crown conservation areas of Inverness.

The grants are good news, especially at the moment when purse strings are being tightened, so something somewhere has to be suffering. Something that could happen under such circumstances is the assumption that big or well-known high-profile cities can look after themselves, and have some sort of magical pot of money that can be drawn on, unlike smaller conurbations. However, as one who lives in one of those ‘big, rich cities’, I know this is far from the case, having watched many worthy building fall into decay, ruin, and eventual vandalism and demolition.

Listing etc is all well and good, but apart from legal status and little protection, it does not come with any funds to maintain or restore properties.

Press release:

6 February 2012

Historic Scotland has announced that it will be offering £7.69m in City Heritage Trust grants over the next three years to Scotland’s six cities. The grants are designed to safeguard and enhance conservation areas, the historic environment and sense of place.

Glasgow will receive £2,550,000, Edinburgh will receive £2,145,000, and Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and Stirling will each receive £750,000.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs said: “It is vital that we continue to improve the quality of our Scottish cities to make them better places to live, work and invest.

“Managing our historic environment creatively also contributes to sustainable economic growth by growing Scotland’s construction industry and increasing the availability and quality of traditional skills and materials. Using new skills and sustainable materials in the adaptation of existing buildings will also help support the historic environment’s transition to a low carbon economy.

“This investment builds on our Agenda for Cities and £7 million Cities Investment Fund, which has been launched to build the momentum to make sure our cities and their regions make the fullest possible contribution to sustained economic recovery – stimulating economic recovery and job creation.”

via Scotland’s six cities to benefit by £7.69 million in Historic Scotland grants.

There was further information appended to the release, which helps to explain some of the terms referred to in the release:

• The Year of Creative Scotland begins on January 1, 2012 and will spotlight and celebrate Scotland’s cultural and creative strengths on a world stage. Through a dynamic and exciting year-long programme of activity celebrating our world-class events, festivals, culture and heritage, the year puts Scotland’s culture and creativity in the international spotlight with a focus on cultural tourism and developing the events industry and creative sector in Scotland. More information about the programme can be found at: Year of Creative Scotland 2012 – VisitScotland. The Year of Creative Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative led in partnership by EventScotland, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland and VOCAL.
• More information and resources to help businesses engage with Year of Creative Scotland are available at VisitScotland.org > Year of Creative Toolkit
• More information about the Agenda for Cities can be found at Scotland’s Cities: Delivering for Scotland – In Collaboration with Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling

What’s wrong with the Forth hovercraft planning refusal?

I tend to stay away from council related stories nowadays. Too many look more like mindless ‘council-bashing’ than reasoned analysis – and I found myself falling into that very trap once, and decided to walk away unless something really didn’t stack.

The story of Edinburgh City Council’s refusal of planning permission for a project to introduce a hovercraft service to the Forth seems to be odd enough for me to risk breaking cover, and mentioning.

The service would connect Kirkcaldy and Portobello, and we noted the testing carried out back in 2008: Forth hovercraft could be floating away, when it was reported that a trial service operated in 2007 had attracted some 32,000 passengers, and near complete approval rendering it “an unqualified success”.

Despite this, and the fact that permission for a terminal at Fife has been granted, Edinburgh’s council has torpedoed the project.

Even stranger is the report of continued wide support from potential users for the service, that Fife councillors have been prepared to criticise the Edinburgh councillors’ decision, and that the support transport partnership SEStran (South East Scotland Transport Partnership, Travel Planning & Strategy) was also snubbed.

The project has, or had, been actively pursued for at least four years (since 2007 but would no doubt have been conceived earlier), but unless something surprising happens, is now dead, as the company behind the service has post patience, and said there will not be an appeal:

Stagecoach Group chief executive Sir Brian Souter said: “This has been a long and painful process. We are completely scunnered and have no intention of appealing against the planning decision.”

Instead:

Stagecoach said it continues to support a proposed passenger ferry between Burntisland, Fife and Granton, Edinburgh. Stagecoach said it was prepared to put £7m into the project in a joint venture with Bland Group.

BBC News – Council ‘kills off’ hovercraft plan for Firth of Forth

Souter ‘scunnered’ as council rejects Forth hovercraft plan | Edinburgh and East | STV News

(The pic’s a shipwreck – royalty free pics of wrecked hovercraft are as easy to find as hen’s teeth!)

£6.3 million redevelopment approved for Helensburgh

We’ve mentioned Argyll and Bute Council’s £30 million CHORD programme before, first to note its existence, and more recently when the plans for Rothesay were announced. CHORD’s aim is to regenerate key coastal towns on the Clyde, and others in line for investment are Campbeltown, Oban, and Dunoon.

In an announcement that the council claims will see the largest town in the area see “the most major improvement works it has seen for decades”, £6.3 million has been approved for the redevelopment of the town centre and West Bay esplanade, and the town’s Colquhoun Square will become an open space, able to host outdoor events.

Helesburgh Colquhoun Square © Stevie Spiers

The tender process will now begin with work due to start in late February 2012 and finish in early May 2013.

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, board member of the Helensburgh CHORD project, said: “This is arguably the most significant decision taken for Helensburgh since Argyll and Bute Council came into existence in 1996. Independent assessors have concluded that this project has the potential to support and grow the area’s business base and act as a catalyst for attracting new investment, as well as helping to attract new residents and increase visitor numbers. I’m sure every town in the country would jump at such an opportunity, particularly in the current challenging economic climate.”

When work starts in Helensburgh next year, contractors will upgrade the “streetscape” in the town centre’s main shopping areas and outside the town’s Central Station.

Work is expected to start next year, when contractor will upgrade the town centre and area outside Central Station, and improve signs which guide visitors.

via BBC News – Helensburgh set for £6.3m redevelopment.

See also: Helensburgh CHORD Project Updates | Argyll and Bute Council

£1 million funding boost for historic buildings

Despite the whining heard from some sectors regarding financing and spending cuts these days, it’s nice to see that Historic Scotland is still able to help look after our built heritage.

Some £1 million worth of funding has just been announced to help six historic buildings remain active within their communities:

Drum Castle (Aberdeen) receives almost £466 k to help it function as a wedding venue.

Craigston Castle (Aberdeen) will get almost £250 k as part of a sustainable tourism project.

Stirling’s Smith Art Gallery also gets around £250 k to assist with its plans for expansion.

Dunoon’s Burgh Halls will be aided by £160 k.

The Haining Estate in the Borders gets almost £37.5 k, to become a contemporary arts, music and literature centre, following its donation to the community after the owner’s death in 2009.

Ullapool Museum will receive around £14 k, and will continue as a community resource.

BBC News – Scottish historic buildings land £1m boost

Tourism plan seeks financial backing

I always find my eye drawn to tourism stories in advance of 2015, when we will learn if the Scottish Government’s decree for a 50% increase by 2015 was delivered.

Being an industrial type (by which I just mean my business was engineering, not tourism) I always what sort of numbers are involved in the plans intended to work towards this aim.

A recent story regarding some plans in the south of Scotland puts some numbers into the pot for consideration.

I have to say I am impressed, and the thought of getting £50 million back over three years for an input of £3 million is a cosy one – if it is delivered. I would expect a queue of backers wanting to sign up.

A council is being asked to approve a funding package to support a £3m project designed to boost tourism across the south of Scotland.

Dumfries and Galloway Council would put £426,000 into the scheme with Scottish Borders Council and VisitScotland.

It is estimated additional visitor revenue of more than £50m could be generated by the three-year project.

It would also create more than 20 new jobs and safeguard about 900 posts across the region.

The specific focus of the plan is to market the area as a tourist destination outside the summer season.

How the tourism funding package is broken down

* £1,114,037 – VisitScotland

* £426,000 – Dumfries and Galloway Council

* £184,500 – Scottish Borders Council

* £1,288,913 – ERDF grant

* £3,013,450 – Total

Read more in the original story via BBC News – South of Scotland tourism plan seeks financial backing.

National Parks – still can’t really see the point

It doesn’t seem to matter what the story is, or what the involvement is, but I really can’t work up any enthusiasm or support for National Park Authorities (NPA). They seem to be good at promoting themselves, and making sure they have a reason (in their own eyes) for being.

This time, I find my first thought regarding some cash handouts from the European Union is one of “Why is the NPA getting any – it’s not a community”. The communities that should be benefiting from receiving the total cash handout lie within the NPA. I can just about understand a council getting some, as it has a responsibility to the communities it is serves, and we can see what return is to be had for the cash concerned, but not so in the case of the NPA.

Looking at the cash breakdown…

Laggan Community Association received £17,100 and will use part of this to launch WiFi in its area.

Glen Tanar Estate received £15,943 and will upgrade Aboyne telephone exchange, Aberdeenshire.

These improvements will provide broadband access.

Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Association received £10,000 and will buy a new 4×4 ambulance.

Highland Council received £5,000 to be spent on play equipment in Aviemore and Carrbridge.

Abernethy Old Kirk Association received £4,980 and will repair stonework and seal the kirk against the weather.

But…

The Cairngorms NPA will receive a total of £17.715 which will be spent on a Landscape Partnership Feasibility Study project and a junior ranger exchange scheme.

Sorry, but compared to those listed above, there is no tangible or material benefit for any of the communities in the area. Money spent on a study merely produces some paper (and justifies someone’s job) and while a ‘junior ranger exchange scheme’ may be nice, once it’s over, again there is no tangible result to show for the spend.

So, to my tired old eyes, the NPA has frittered away an amount of money that a community could have used to by hardware to improve broadband delivery, or repair some building at risk.

Not good value at all.

BBC News – Euro funds to upgrade internet in Glen Tanar and Laggan

Rothesay buildings to benefit from £500,000

One of the best sights I’ve enjoyed over the years has been the approach to Rothesay aboard the ‘Big’ ferry, as it passes the various mansions and villas along Mount Stuart road on its final approach to the pier, and the town’s unmistakable waterfront.

Rothesay front and esplanade © Zak

You can find many more views of this area of Rothesay in Zak’s Reflections Photo Gallery.

I can’t say exactly when, perhaps a decade or two (maybe even longer as my perception of anything further back than about five years is vague to say the least), the buildings along Argyle Street and behind the esplanade benefited from something of a tidy up, and a splash of paint, and looked all the better for it.

Since then, without criticism, it’s probably fair to say that the pot must have run dry after that, as there was little maintenance carried out afterwards, and the salty sea air took it toll over the years. A number of shops, and some dwellings, were given up, becoming abandoned and derelict, with some having been demolished in recent years due to their dangerous condition, and the start of 2011 being marked by reports of pieces falling into the street, and just missing pedestrians.

Thankfully, there is now news of both funds and help to assist with local efforts to restore the town’s waterfront view, following an announcement by Scotland’s Culture Minister, Fiona Hyslop.

Historic Scotland’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme will be contributing towards the Townscape Heritage Initiative, and a sum of £499,933 will be available to help with Argyll and Bute Council’s plans for what has been described as ‘Scotland’s largest conservation area’.

Together with the straight funding, the council and building owners gain access to expertise and guidance, and residents within the conservation area regeneration scheme will be able to apply for grants in the summer.

Perhaps I’ll manage to make the trip this year. Ever since I made the mistake of tempting fate by making arrangements to meet some friends on the island a few years ago, I have singularly failed to make what had been something of an annual ‘away day’ ever since, as various mishaps have conspired to thwart ‘best laid plans. White Van Man even managed to ruin my car one year – and he was going backwards when he did it! And that was just after I managed to fix the damage one of Argyll’s deer had done the year before.

Isle of Bute Jazz Festival (almost) stumbles in 2011

While I would have to admit that I am not a fan of jazz music, that doesn’t mean to say I’m not a fan of a good day out, or of folk enjoying their own particular interest – and I won’t even qualify that by adding ‘so long as they do it quietly‘.

I’d also have to admit the festival is also something I have never seen in all my years of visiting the island. I’m either too early, and have often been there in April, days before it begins,  or just to late, and have just missed it, but not the slightly lost looking folk who can then be seen wandering around, complete with their instruments as they prepare to depart.

It seems to have suffered a double blow for this year, as I first spotted a news story of some sort of row between one of the island’s best known local performers, singer Jenny Brown, and a local group, The Bute Jazz Friends. Although I’ve noted my non-interest in the music itself, I became aware of Jenny Brown some years ago, as a highly colourful character who could be seen at the head of the festival parade, and featured in many photographs of the event. It seems she started singing on Bute when she was 16, and makes no secret of her age now, 83.

You can see the event pics in this gallery, and you don’t need any help from me to work out which one is Jenny, or how much fun everyone is having:

Bute Jazz Photo Gallery by Rothesay at pbase.com

I certainly don’t know the details, but after Jenny referred to being notified by letter that her services were no longer required by the group, without apparently even discussing the matter, it seems that the group moved things to a new level, and accused her of ‘declining competence’, and complaining that her performances had become been littered with more and more mistakes over the last two years, and accusing her of blaming the resulting “musical mess” on the members of the band.

To me, the whole thing stinks, as the Bute Jazz Friends have since said the letter and comments were a band decision, and not down to any individual, presumably so that whoever is ultimately responsible can hide behind the group. There are ways to go about some jobs, and this is not the way to go about this one, whatever the reason may have been for the group’s dissatisfaction, if dissatisfaction it was, and not something else,

Read more details at:

Row hits a rough note for Bute’s jazz fans – Buteman Today

Where the relevant letters have also been published in the printed version.

Jazz Festival cancelled for 2011 – maybe?

As if the above was not enough of a tale of woe for the island, it seems that a lack of available funding/sponsorship ahead of the event has led to the cancellation of the island’s jazz festival in 2011.

In a statement issued by the festival committee, the following explanation was given:

In the present difficult economic climate, funders have to deal with unprecedented numbers of applications for funding. Decisions are taking much longer and we have already had several applications declined. We are presently awaiting a funding decision from Argyll and Bute Council, which is expected in March 2011. In view of the short time period between funding decisions being received and the usual event date of the May holiday weekend, we regret that there is insufficient time to arrange and advertise an event for the 2011 May Bank Holiday as in previous years. We are currently in discussions with new sponsors and hope that our on-going funding applications will be successful, which will allow our efforts to be directed to restoring the Isle of Bute Jazz Festival for 2012.

Read more at:

No jazz festival for Bute in 2011 – Buteman Today

This has already been pointed as being a potentially bad way to start the year on an island that is dependent on tourism, and there could be further effects throughout the season, as it seems unlikely that later visits in the year are not inspired by the good memories and stories told by those who had a good time earlier.

You thought I’d forgotten, but you’re not getting away without being treated to one of Zak’s excellent pics, and I’ve selected a candid moment captured at the event (this is actually from 2009, since the sun declined to attend in 2010), with Jenny visible just to the right of the action, in the blue tartan jacket and white trousers, in conjunction with a sash in recognition of 2009 being the year of Homecoming Scotland.

 

Isle of Bute Jazz Festival 2009 © Zak

Update 1 – Emergency meeting called regarding cancellation decision

We received the following comment regarding the cancellation announcement, and a local meeting to consider possible solutions:

“In view of the announcement made last week by the Bute Jazz Festival Committee, that the festival for 2011 would be cancelled, an emergency meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 26th January at 7:30pm in the Victoria Hotel to examine the possibilities of reversing this decision.

The meeting will be open to the general public, but primarily the business community, and the format of the meeting will be to deal with the way forward for the jazz festival by suggestions or offers of assistance.”

Yet more here:

Meeting next week “to save Bute jazz festival” – Buteman Today

Update 2 – Local community rallies to save 2011 Jazz Festival

In one of those rare occasion where there really will be dancing in the streets, Wednesday’s online edition of The Buteman carried the news that the Isle of Bute 2011 Jazz Festival will take place, and run from Friday, April 29, until Sunday, May 1.

Community support saves Bute’s jazz festival – Local Headlines – The Buteman

As a result of the emergency meeting held last week, the community raised £13,000 of the required £15,000 target set to help meet the cost of running the event – in only one week. A remarkable achievement. Although there was a shortfall, the organising committee decided to acknowledge the effort and commitment made, and announced the return of the festival to the calendar.

Committee member Tim Saul told The Buteman:

Due to the measure of support received since the committee’s previous decision, the decision has been made to go ahead with a jazz festival from April 29 until May 1 this year. The members of the committee would like to express their sincere thanks to the community of Bute – both businesspeople and individuals who have contributed financially and those who have come forward with offers of practical help. We would welcome contributions from anyone who has not yet donated, because the more support we have, the bigger and better an event we will be able to put on.

Donations may still be made in person at the High Street offices of Rothesay law firm Wm Skelton & Co, or online at the festival’s website:

Isle of Bute Bute Jazz, Rythm & Blues Festival

Update 3 – Sour grapes over allocation of funds

It’s nice to see that even when there is good news to be had, there will be someone who can turn it into bad news, even within a small island community.

Just like being in the big city.

I am not even going to try and summarise this piece of nonsense, lest I appear to be taking one side or another.

Concern over Common Good Fund jazz move – Local Headlines – The Buteman

£6.5 million and a Freedom of Information enquiry is waiting

Anyone with an interest in cars and Russia can’t have failed to notice that the Bugatti factory should have invested in some sort of enhanced customer care programme, and employed the services of a specialist carrier to get their cars over to Russia, where one might be forgiven for assuming most of the factory’s output has gone, shifted on the back of a fleet of rusty old flat-bed trucks. One  might be forgiven for wondering why those who can afford a million pound car don’t splash a bit more cash and treat it to a better delivery experience, and if they made it there without a scratch.

One might also wonder how they are paid for.

This came to mind when a story about the Scottish Money Laundering Unit appeared, where the Civil Recovery Unit of the Crown Office used Proceeds of Crime legislation to restrain £6.5 million from a Moscow based businessman after a suspect bank transfer of $10 million from a bank account in Hungary to a Scottish bank back in 2004, following inquiries by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) and the Crown Office. The businessman (64 years old) provided a supposedly legitimate audit trail for the funds, but the investigators discredited the trail, and linked the cash to a Russian bank which had been bankrupted in 2004, in relation to money laundering offences.

This Scottish case is being described as the country’s largest ever recovery under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

It’s an impressive amount of money to land virtually ‘out of nowhere’, and according to the news, “Will be invested in community projects around Scotland”.

While this is fine, the windfall is far from insignificant, and although there will no doubt be many claimants for a slice, I suspect none will actually have a viable plan in place to take advantage from it.

In a year or two, or three, I’d quite like to see some sort of report regarding the dispersal of this money, and to know that it actually was put to good use, and someone benefitted from it in a positive way.

If not, perhaps someone who is experienced in the way of Freedom if Information enquiries might like to put this item in their diary, and make this particular enquiry in a few years, and let the rest of us know the outcome?

National Trust seek new chair

Barry Mill Carnoustie © Gwen and James Anderson

I have to admit I can never make up my mind about the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) – is, or is it not, a good thing?

I see this morning that is is on the lookout for a new chairman (chairperson?) according to the BBC, as the current holder of that post has announced her intention to step down. It seems there has been vociferous opposition to a number of drastic cost-cutting measures, and members tabled a motion of no-confidence in Ms MacPherson.

The NTS looks after more than 100 properties relating to Scotland’s heritage, but the past year saw announcements of redundancies and closure of properties. This brought protests from both members and the public, with campaigns being mounted against the plans, and places such as Barry Mill succeeding in winning further funding for at least another three years, rather than closure.

However, it is possible to search, and find that there are also many who are unhappy with the treatment they have received from NTS, and I recall reading of some particularly bitter disputes between NTS and former owners or custodians of properties donated to the Trust, in the letters pages of the Scots Magazine in years gone by. The gist of these is usually that the Trust has failed to comply with conditions or requests made when the properties were handed over, and has done things which the former owners disapprove of.

However, despite these apparent problems, membership numbers were reported to be at their highest level ever this week- 315,000. That’s around £10 million if we knock off a few free memberships and round down to the current £33.75 direct debit membership for over-25s, or over £13 million at full rate if we forget the 25% first year discount. You can juggle one-off life memberships as you wish, but there will be other donations and bequests.

I’m not quoting those numbers to be critical, rather just to observe that if the Trust has over 100 properties in its charge, then that works at at roughly £130,000 per property per year.

However…

In earlier announcement about redundancies and closure, it was noted that the Trust has around 500 full time staff (and 800 seasonal employees), and that works out at roughly £27,000 per full time staff member.

Assuming they pay their staff around the national average, and have a few high-flyers to compensate – that doesn’t leave a lot for the properties, and the Trust is either seriously underfunded, or is fortunate to receive enough large donations to keep it going.

Or is my my arithmetic just way too simple?

Back in May, we noted an announcement of around 91 full-time jobs, but it has been reported that this has fallen to 65, following talks with staff and unions, while other cost-cutting measures are also being pursued, involving seasonal and other posts, the closure of properties, and sale of its own headquarters in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, a category A listed building.