A shopfront grant awarded through Dunoon CARS, to restore Bookpoint, in Dunoon’s Ferry Brae, has inspired owners within the building to source funding to complete the building’s facelift.
Bookpoint was awarded a Shopfront grant through the Dunoon CARS project in July 2019 and on-site works began in January this year. These included:
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New curved glass window
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Replacement stallriser tiling
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Hand painted signage
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Timber repairs/ replacement to windows
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Redecoration
Some common repairs were also required to the parent building which also housed the Caledonian Hotel and Barnardos, the owners came together to form an owners’ association. This enabled them to apply to the council’s Housing Services for private sector housing grants, to help towards the cost of roof repairs - to make the building water tight - and to repaint the building.
To date, the CARS project has helped six owners’ associations set up in tenement properties to make carrying out common repairs easier. It helps each owner set aside funds for maintenance and opens up several different funding avenues for repair works. It also helps safeguard traditional buildings for future generations.
Councillor Alastair Redman, Policy Lead for Economic Growth, said: “It is brilliant to see the changes that the CARS investment is bringing to Dunoon. The resulting effort at Bookpoint looks amazing. Some details that were not visible before, can now clearly be seen – for example, the date the building was built picked out by the skilled painter.
“I’m delighted that owners are also making the most of council funding already available to maintain their properties. Overall, our goal is to make the town more attractive and appealing as well as creating opportunities for businesses.”
Notes:
The Dunoon Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) is a £1.9m jointly funded grant programme focussing on the regeneration of historical buildings as well as traditional skills training and community engagement.
Dunoon CARS is jointly funded by Historic Environment Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council.