Newtonmore art project on show next Thursday
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Council has given the green light to six projects worth nearly £325,000 aimed at attracting more people into the centres of towns and villages in the strath.
Members of the local authority’s environment, development and infrastructure committee – as expected – rubber-stamped the projects for support from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund.
Those behind the winning projects now have just less than a year to spend the allocated funds.
Grantown Initiative is receiving an award of just over £28,000.
The money will be used to increase seating in The Square; to replace dead and dying trees; to provide new visitor signposts and information boards in the two car parks and buy a new public address system for events.
Grantown Initiative chair-
woman Jane Hope said: “We are obviously delighted to have received this money, especially as we only had a short time in which to get our bid together.
“It was a joint effort between Grantown Initiative and the town’s community council and along with many other small projects under way, it will help to enhance the town square for visitors and residents. It is a fraction of all the things that we know we want for Grantown, and buoyed by this success, we will be looking for further opportunities to help look after this unique town.”
The Newtonmore Art Project team – made up of representatives from the village’s business association, community council and Newtonmore Community Woodland Development Trust – has been awarded £38,800. It means the required funding is now in place to commission Ballindalloch-based Stuart Murdoch, of Murdoch Sculpture, to execute their ambitious plans to transform the village square.
NAP spokesperson Amanda Frazer said: “There will be an art installation which celebrates the local heritage, history, culture and sporting prowess, and will be a terminus for cyclists and walkers on the Speyside Way.
“It will be a relaxing resting point for cyclists journeying along National Cycle Network Route 7. These elements we celebrate are what binds the community together.”
She thanked Highland Council for their financial support along with other funders the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Isobel Parker Fund, Sustrans Scotland’s ArtRoots Fund, Newtonmore Community Council, The Badenoch Great Place Project and Cairngorms Trust. Ms Frazer said: “There is a community belief that the installation will be a focus to the centre of the village which demonstrates the many elements that form our welcoming neighbourhood.
“Similarly, Isobel Parker would be pleased that her fund is being used to improve the vista of the square.”
The villagers are being invited to view the proposal next Thursday (21) between 11am and 4pm at the Wildcat Centre.
The other schemes receiving funding approval at Thursday’s meeting are: the conversion of the former Bank of Scotland on Kingussie’s High Street to a community hub by Caberfeidh Horizons (£95,000); Aviemore Community Council’s plans for a bandstand and associated improvement works on the village green (£93,253); Kingussie Community Development Company’s improvements to the town’s Duke of Gordon Memorial Gardens (£56,806); Minor external environmental works to Newtonmore Village Hall by the hall’s trustees (£10,000).
