Aytoun Hall in line for £975,000 facelift
Last updated | 14/04/2008
Auchterarder's historic Aytoun Hall could be in line for a £975,000 refurbishment under plans which will go before the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on Wednesday April 16.
Councillors will be asked to approve a plan that will trigger the release of a £500,000 gift from the Scottish Government that will help carry out the improvement works. The remaining £475,000 will come from the Council and developer contributions.
The project would see amenities at the hall such as toilets, heating, disabled facilities, electrics, meeting spaces, fixtures and fittings and kitchens refurbished. Lighting and acoustics would also be improved in the two main halls. The work would allow the Council to continue to provide some local services from the Hall.
In 2005, the then First Minister, as a gesture to the people of Auchterarder after the 2005 G8 summit, pledged up to £500,000 towards the refurbishment costs of Aytoun Hall. This was subject to "the Council and local community being able to raise the remaining funding".
In December 2005, the Auchterarder Leisure and Recreation Association (ALRA) was re-established and has since led the local drive to secure a future for the hall. Officers of the Council have had a continuing dialogue with ALRA about their aspirations for the facility.
Convener of the Committee, Councillor Ian Miller, said: "ALRA has conducted an extensive local consultation exercise on local views, needs and aspirations for Aytoun Hall. ALRA's favoured position now is to seek the release of the £500,000 from the Scottish Government to ensure a refurbishment of the Hall and to continue to work in partnership with the Council. Members will be asked to approve a plan that will allow the Council and ALRA to turn Aytoun Hall into a really fantastic community facility that everyone can be proud of.
"This project would make the hall fit for the 21st century and provide a real community asset. I would like to thank ALRA for all their hard work in getting to this stage.
"These are exciting times for the Lang Toon. The recently approved Auchterarder Masterplan means that there is the potential for new build of approximately 800 housing units on three sites in the town up to year 2020, with an estimated population increase of 2,500. Aytoun Hall will undoubtedly have an important role to play in the new-look Auchterarder."
Members of the SP&R Committee will be asked to consider two options for Aytoun Hall (with Option B the preferred course of action):
A. Perth and Kinross Council declares Aytoun Hall surplus.
B. Perth & Kinross Council retains and upgrades Aytoun Hall at a cost of £975,000, using the £500,000 First Minister's gift to cover an element of these costs and Council resources and/or developer contributions totalling £475,000 to meet the balance.
Councillor Miller added: "I am delighted to be able to bring forward this paper. If members agree to the preferred option it will guarantee the future of this well-used and much-loved local facility for generations to come."
John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, said: "The refurbishment of Aytoun Hall will be of significant benefit to its users and the Auchterarder community.
"By committing £500,000 towards the improvements, the Scottish Government is delivering on a commitment made to the people of Auchterarder by the previous administration and responding to representations from Roseanna Cunningham MSP on behalf of the community.
"I hope that councillors back this plan, which will bring the historic Aytoun Hall up to modern standards and serve as a major boost for the local community."
