Inverclyde Council
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Inverclyde Council News
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| Latest News from Inverclyde Council |
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Greenock Kids take Ginger for a Ride
As part of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund initiative, Riverside Inverclyde and Inverclyde Council have appointed arts coordinators and designers at macART, to spend time with some of Greenock’s artistic youngsters producing quality graphics in support of projects on the ground.
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More Grants Available to Voluntary Organisations
Applications are now being invited for the second round of Grant’s to Voluntary Organisations funding from Inverclyde Council.
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New Direction for Health and Community Care
Councillors have approved the establishment of Inverclyde’s new Community Health and Care Partnership, an enhanced partnership agreement between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Inverclyde Council.
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Pride of Inverclyde Awards 2010
We need your help! This is your chance to nominate a person, team or service for giving you outstanding customer service.
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Written by Aileen MacNicol
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Wednesday, 30 December 2009 10:50 |
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“It means so much to so many - please save it”
ARGYLL and Bute Council has confirmed that it is considering the sale of all or parts of Castle Toward.
The centre, which has provided arts, drama and outdoor activities for an estimated 500,000 young people over the last 60 years, was told to cease operating as a residential facility in November, following an inspection by council officers and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue.
Campaign
However, since the news was made public, an internet campaign to save the facility has grown in leaps and bounds - with over 3,500 members joining in a two-week period.
Meanwhile, the Standard has received an unprecedented number of emails calling for the council to save the facility - many from young people who have enjoyed the centre's facilities and activities.
Argyll and Bute Council’s executive met on Thursday December 17 to consider a report on Castle Toward - an agenda item which excluded members of the press and public.
Concerns
Later that afternoon, a council spokeswoman issued a a statement advising: “The council has taken action on Castle Toward after serious health and safety concerns were raised.”
It stated that problems were highlighted following a Strathclyde Fire and Rescue inspection earlier this year. SFR wrote to both the council and the building’s occupier - Actual Reality - pointing out fire safety deficiencies.
The spokeswoman continued: “The council immediately started drawing up an action plan to deal with these matters. Further to this, health and safety officers carried out a fire risk assessment. The chief officer recommended that the concerns were such that residential operation should cease immediately. An instruction to that effect was given to Actual Reality that day.”
Costs
The spokeswoman said that other health and safety issues were highlighted, and that the cost of works to bring the premises back up to the standard required for residential operation would be in the region of £595,000.
The cost of restoring the property to an acceptable standard was estimated at £977,000.
The council’s executive, after considering the report, agreed to look into the sale of all or parts of the property, which comprises the castle itself and other buildings in 57 hectares of land. It advised that it would be talking with Actual Reality as one of the prospective purchasers of the estate.
Shock
The council’s decision was met with shock by many of those who have attended Castle Toward’s residential activities over the years.
Scottish local authorities have sent children there for over 60 years to access music and arts tuition and outdoor education - opportunities that may not otherwise have been available to them.
A researcher at the Scottish Poverty Information Unit, who was one of the children given the opportunity to visit Toward, told the Standard: “These are just the type of centres that are central to a policy that aims to tackle child poverty.
“I grew up in quite extreme poverty in a single parent household and it was the access to high quality orchestral tuition that supported and encouraged me to stay at school and therefore get into university.
“I am one of many similar voices.”
Another young woman who contacted us said: “I was always slightly shy in school. However Castle Toward made me feel normal and part of my class again and boosted my confidence.”
Impact
Many of the people who contacted the Standard are professional musicians or artists from all over the UK who cite their Castle Toward experience as fundamental to their career success.
However, young people who have very recently enjoyed a trip to the centre have contacted us in equal numbers, saying what an impact it has had on them and what changes they hope it will bring to their lives.
One young man, who was scheduled to visit the castle next year, said simply: “It means so much to so many. Please save it.”
The strength of feeling is such that a campaign (group Save Castle Toward) on social networking site Facebook has grown to almost 3,600 members in just over two weeks. An online petition has also attracted almost 900 signatures (see http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savecastletoward/).
Blame
Those who have posted opinions on the site are virtually unanimous in their passion and desire to see Castle Toward saved for future generations - with blame placed firmly at the doors of Argyll and Bute Council.
Some comments posted by an unknown author allege delays on the part of the council regarding meetings and progress on the health and safety issues and criticise the council’s actions on Castle Toward. The poster claims that the operators repeatedly sought permission to proceed with works and organised funds for the same, but that approval was not forthcoming.
Sell
Asked whether Actual Reality had requested or been offered any financial assistance to make good the issues at the castle, a council spokeswoman told the Standard: “The council is the proprietor of Castle Toward which is currently occupied by Actual Reality at no cost to that company.
“Both the council and Actual Reality have responsibilities in regard to health and safety matters in respect of Castle Toward.
“We have assessed what we consider to be matters which require to be addressed before the building can continue to be used on a residential basis and have costed these. This information has been shared with Actual Reality.
“The executive has determined that it does not currently have resources to allocate to these works.
“The council previously decided that it wished to sell Castle Toward and Actual Reality is, and has been, aware of that position. It is open to Actual Reality to offer for the property at the appropriate time, should it wish to do so.”
Discussions
Actual Reality issued a statement advising that representatives had held a “positive meeting” with council officers on December 21, adding: “We agreed on a course of action to establish what essential works must be carried out to allow the castle to be reoccupied safely.”
It is understood that there will be further meetings early in the New Year between officers and the company, to carry out a technical review of the works required and also to discuss the possibility of the restricted, non-residential use of Castle Toward in the meantime.
The company also confirmed its wish to buy the property, and will hold further discussions on this in January.
Castle Toward - which numbers Fran Healy of Travis, and composer John Maxwell Geddes among its former visitors - has faced closure battles before. The most recent threat was in 2004, when Argyll and Bute Council said it wanted to sell the estate to maximise its assets. At that time, national media exposure and local protests brought a reprief. The campaigners are hoping that this time round, it can be saved for good.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 15:17 |
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Breaking News...
A diver spent half an hour in the chill waters of the Firth of Clyde on Monday morning after getting into difficulties while diving from the Inverclyde shore.
Reports were received by Clyde coastguard at 11.30am that two men were in difficulty in choppy sea conditions just offshore.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that the younger of the two men managed to reach the shore, but his diving partner remained clinging to a mooring buoy in a blustery easterly wind.
The 11.20am CalMac ferry service from Gourock to Dunoon was diverted to assist the rescue effort. Passengers on the MV Jupiter reported hearing the man overboard alert sounding, before one of the ship’s rescue craft was launched.
The Helensburgh lifeboat later reached the scene and transported both men to a waiting ambulance at 12.10pm.
The Royal Navy rescue helicopter was requested, but later stood down.
The men were taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital, and their condition is unknown at this time. |
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