Campbeltown’s B-Listed Old Courthouse building is in the hands of a new owner who hopes to bring it back into use for the first time in more than 30 years.
The building in the town’s Bolgam Street has been transferred to the ownership of a newly-formed development company Kilkerran Developments Ltd, which is led by Hedley G Wright, Chairman of Campbeltown’s famous whisky producer, Springbank Distillery. Argyll and Bute Council facilitated the ownership transfer and it is hoped the building’s future is much brighter than it has looked for years, and will build on the other successful regeneration projects happening in the town.
While Kilkerran Developments have yet to reveal their detailed plans for the Old Courthouse, it is thought that the whisky trade will almost certainly be at the centre of the building’s new direction.
Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Economic Development, Councillor Aileen Morton, said: “The Old Courthouse has lain derelict for a long time and a number of unsuccessful efforts to secure its future have been launched. This is a huge step towards bringing this historic building back into use and we’re very pleased to have helped with the change of ownership. There is still a long road ahead, but it will be great to see Kilkerran Developments come up with something that will be a real attraction for Campbeltown.”
The building has fallen into a state of disrepair, with the council’s Building Standards team monitoring the site. Renovation work is vital to preserve it for future use.
An investment of £2.2million to boost Campbeltown’s historic town centre was launched in 2015 and runs until 2020. The CARS (Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme) follows on from an earlier CARS, which ran from 2007 to 2012, and the Townscape Heritage Initiative, in operation from 2009 to 2015.
A spokesman for Kilkerran Developments Ltd added: “The most important step in securing the building for the future is to secure the building itself. There is a lot of work to be done externally to before we can even begin to work on the inside of the building and as such that will be the focus for the immediate future. Work has already commenced on clearing some of the debris from the courtyard so that we can then establish the next steps necessary."