August 13, 2008
Castlemilk community lends a hand
A community group in Falkirk has set its sights on transforming a disused stable block and some outbuildings of the historic house at Callander Park into a multi purpose community owned facility. The Cassiltoun Trust from Castlemilk have offered their assistance
Callender Park Tenants and Residents Association in Falkirk are calling for an abandoned 18th century stables and factor’s house in Callendar Park to be transformed into a state of the art community facility. It’s a highly ambitious project but in recent years there have been some very successful examples in other parts of the country – Garrison House on Cumbrae and Cassiltoun Stables in Castlemilk – where communities have taken on redundant historic buildings and breathed new life into them.
Representatives of the Cassiltoun Trust, who have successfully converted a similar stable block in Castlemilk into a building which retains its historical look but now accommodates a £4.2 million multi-purpose community building, are being invited to a community meeting in Falkirk to share their experiences and expertise.
The Callender Park Tenants and Residents Association has the support of Provost Pat Reid. Falkirk’s civic leader has agreed to host a fact-finding meeting to look at the exciting proposals in greater detail. The provost said: “I welcome the call from the Callendar Park Tenants and Residents Association which coincides with other recent approaches from both within and without the council.
“Along with the other Falkirk North members and in consultation with the association , I intend to call a public meeting after the council recess to explore the ways in which progress can best be made. “The stables and the former factor’s house in Callendar Park require to be brought up to a standard reflective of the rest of the estate. This is especially true now that we expect an increase in tourist interest following the designation of the Antonine Wall as a World Heritage Site.
It is possible that Historic Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, the European Union Development Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund could all be brought on board to help fund the project.
”Falkirk now has another opportunity to be bold and enhance our reputation as a forward looking community – ever conscious of the need to progress in economic and cultural terms.”