Crieff Community Trust applied to the Scottish Land Fund at the beginning of July for a major feasibility study of the Drummond Arms, we also applied to Perth and Kinross Council for money to go towards the study.

In August the SLF gave us its decision: ‘the feasibility of this project needs to be identified prior to undertaking any project management or design work on the Drummond Arms… the Scottish Land Fund is not about retaining buildings for their heritage value but about the benefits to the community that can be gained from an acquisition and future community use.’ 

The Scottish Land Fund also said ‘the feasibility of this project – including an options appraisal of other potential sites in the area that could be used to deliver the community outcomes – needs to be identified prior to undertaking any further work on this specific building.’

CCT has learned that an Options Appraisal is the first stage of trying to make use of a redundant building.

Currently there are other groups interested in saving Old St Michaels Church and the Town Hall. This study will help them too. They won’t need to apply for funding to do their own Options Appraisal of Crieff. They can also use the report once it is complete at the end of February.

While CCT knows how important it is to our community to find a solution to the prominent derelict site of the former Drummond Arms hotel which is bringing down our town centre, we appreciate it makes sense to look at all of the empty sites as a whole and have a joined up approach to filling them with the different uses that are currently missing from our community.

Crieff Community Trust has commissioned independent consultants, Community Enterprise, to run a community consultation. There are a number of opportunities for people to say what they think is missing from our community. Look out for them at:

Christmas Fayres
Saturday 26th November 2016
Crieff High School 10 – 1.30pm
Morrison’s Academy 1 – 4pm

Drop-In at Strathearn Artspace
Monday 28th November 2016
3 – 7pm

Crieff Christmas Market
Friday 9th December 2016
James Square from 10 – 2pm

Please put these dates into your diary and help us to raise awareness of these events by telling your family, neighbours and friends.

If you have any questions please contact Alison at Community Enterprise: 01506 862227 or alison@communityenterprise.co.uk