Time is running out for the Old Courthouse

[CampbeltownTHI]

Behind a dishevelled façade in Bolgam Street time is running out for one of Campbeltown’s best kept secrets. Stage 1 funding, totalling £750,000, has been secured but unless we can find a new use that works, this money, as well as the building, will be lost for ever.

Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust and Argyll and Bute Council are appealing to the people of Campbeltown to come forward now and tell us how they want to use this historic building. One suggestion is to create a ‘green’ community hub selling local foods, local arts and crafts and ethical products. The centre would provide a venue for performing arts, a repair café where people could recycle their furniture and goods and a centre for environmentally focussed training. The Ark Centre, as it would be known, would complement other ongoing community projects and contribute to the regeneration of the town.

Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Economic Development, Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, said: ‘’The building is deteriorating and unless a use for it can be found it could end up having to be demolished, leaving a gap site and causing problems for the surrounding buildings. Along with our partners at SBPT, we are eager to hear people’s ideas for how the building could be saved.’’

Sarah MacKinnon, Chief Executive of Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust, said: “This is a really important building and we are so close to being able to save it, we just need your help.” So please tell us:

1. Have you got any memories or photographs of the Old Courthouse?
2. Would you support the Ark Centre idea?
3. What other ideas do you have for using this important building?

Give your views by contacting Strathclyde Building Preservation at:

courthouse@sbpt.org.uk or to find out more at our website at http://www.sbpt.org.uk

Notes to editors:

Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust (SBPT) is a social enterprise offering a comprehensive built heritage resource bringing new life to old buildings and promoting sustainable businesses and communities. Our service is based on over 25 years experience in the field and a flexible, innovative approach to projects. SBPT has been involved in projects in Campbeltown for the past 8 years and in particular worked with the Kintyre Amenity Trust to deliver the Old School Bunkhouse Project. We are currently working with community groups across the west of Scotland to save historic buildings and deliver regeneration projects.

SBPT contacts: Chief Executive Sarah MacKinnon: 0141248 4013, 07914 586 777, sarah.mackinnon@sbpt.org.uk. Web Site: http://www.sbpt.org.uk/

[gray_marian]

As an aside from the above, does anyone know the square footage of the building and of the courtyard behind? Thank you.

[SBPT]

Hi, in response to the question about floor area it's not an entirely easy one to answer because of the configuration of the Courthouse complex. However, the total floor area of the building (excluding the ground floor of the South Range (which is currently in use as part of the café at 10 Longrow South) is approx 250m2 of which 200m2 is within the two main buildings the rest being contained in the side ranges.

The courtyard is about 12m x 6.5m. The stair to the first floor takes up some of that area but it is a good space. The first floor hall / former court room is about 11.7m x 6m.

I hope that is useful.

SBPT

[EMDEE]

The town would probably need to have a greater throughput of tourism than there is at the moment to make this possible, and this is a matter of geographical position as well as many other factors, but bearing in mind the historical use of the building, would it be feasible to create an attraction along the lines of Inveraray Jail? I am sure there would be funding available for this if a realistic and achievable business plan could be produced with the objective of protecting a part of the physical local historical and cultural infrastructure.

There is a lot of history in Campbeltown and Kintyre generally, which is not widely known or publicised unless people specifically do their own research. There is a market for history based tourism, and this is largely untapped in Kintyre.

[Admin3]

How else is this news release being issued? What about Argyll & Bute Council posting it out as a news release too as this would have been missed if it wasn't for THI posting. (thanks btw! )

How is the wider community going to know about this?

[SBPT]

Hi,

On the subject of publicity, I believe that there will be an article in the Courier this week.

Regards,

SBPT

[WC1]

Sadly, I think it has to be said that time ran out for the Old Courthouse a good many years ago. The last time I can remember being in it was over 40 years ago when it was used as a base for enumerators in the 1971 Census. I can't think of any occasions when it has been in use at any time in the past 25 years, and probably for much longer than that. I would bet that the last time it was in daily use for a specific purpose was when it was the Miners' Welfare hall in the 1950s and 60s. Long story short, Campbeltown has a good many halls available for a variety of purposes. The Town Hall is being refurbished and brought back into use. The Victoria Hall is being renovated. The Free Church is being renovated and will also become available as a venue. With all of that in the background, it's totally unnecessary to scratch around for a reason to renovate a building that has been unused and ruinous for the better part of 50 years.

[weetoonplodder]

What a total waste of public funds, and on top of that, who is doing the maths/arithmetic here, how can anyone justify spending in excess of three quarters of a million pounds on this place, it would either be better to knock it down or at the very most keep the front facade of the building and and rebuild behind it if its going to cost this amount of money to restore.

It would be nice to see a breakdown of spending on this project and to see just how much of it i being taken up in architectural and administration costs by those who have little or no professional building experience, considering the size of the property I do not understand how this is costing so much to do. I am sure that there are enough local building contractors available that could carry out this type of work at a considerably lower cost than the touted £750,000+. I am well aware that it is not just the main building but the smaller extensions at the back but even including these, there is no way that this work should be costing this much

When you look at some of the projects that are undertaken on programmes like Channel 4's Grand Designs and the cost of these that are carried out with preservation orders and full building control, it just does not add up. I sight "Hellifield Peel Castle" as an example of this, when It was bought it was a complete and total ruin with no roof and crumbling walls, the best thing that could have happened to it according to Kevin McCloud was to knock it down it was that bad. The total cost of restoration was £850,000 including purchase costs of £100,000 which included extensive grounds and includes a geothermal heating system for the property which probably cost £20-£35,000. This property is nearly 3 to 4 times the size of The Old Courthouse and is now a luxury hotel/guest house, so please tell us, where is the money going and why is it going to cost £750,000

Sarah Beeny of "Property Ladder"TV fame bought the 97 room "Rise Hall" for £440,000 which includes 30 acres of land and renovated it for just over £550,00 and just like "Hellifield Peel Castle" this was Grade 2 listed and had to be done withing the confines of a restoration order and full building control again this is now a luxury hotel and wedding venue and was originally in a very dilapidated condition

Just looking at the picture of the front of the building i can tell that the building is no longer that 15-16 meters and the height/length of the pitch is no more than 6.5-7m therefore one side equals no more than 120m2 so with the outbuildings the total roof cannot be much more than 350m2 , basing a re-roofing cost including new sarking/boarding and new slates on a cost of a very very generous £100m2 this only comes to a maximum of £35,000 for the roof, taking in to consideration new cast Iron gutters and downpipes, and leadwork for the total roof area of the property I doubt if this would exceed £40,000 in total, but i think that the real cost would be closer to £30,000 than £40,000 so please tell us where the other £710,000 or so is going because re-roofing it would be one of the biggest jobs.

As much as it was over 22 to 23 years ago in 1989/90 if I remember correctly the cost of renovating the existing Campbeltown Courthouse at the top of Castlehill was only about or just over £1,000,000 this was taken back to bare walls inside and bare roof outside with full replacement of all leadwork and ornate cast iron gutters and downpipes, completely re-wired, re-plumbed and re-plastered, some specialized stonemason work with all new joinery cladding inside which included heavy oak doors, skirtings and facings. This work was carried out under the watchful eye of the PSA if i remember correctly and being a government body, no expense was spared , so again please tell us how this is costing so much to do?

In closing I offer a suggestion of use if it is going to be renovated, why not if the local council are so intent in closing Bolgam St public toilets, why not convert the lower front rooms of the building into public toilets if size allows and then build smaller stand alone disabled toilet on the existing car park site and offset the cost of this that way we would still have public toilets in the centre of town and in a location that is known to locals and visitors alike

weetoonplodder

[gizmo]

I have to agree with the last 2 posters. The time for this building has come and gone. It hasn't been used for donkeys years and while dreaming up ethical uses, green concepts and environmental educational courses might tick a few trendy boxes it is still chucking good money away.
Occasionally knocking down and redeveloping is the way forward this would seem to be the case here.
There are quite a few under-used local buildings that could be used for these schemes, lets face it these things are only going to last a couple of months before they wind-up or look for more money.
Which genius decided to shut Bolgam Street toilets anyway? It is taking the