Front green ideas galore
Members of the Mid Argyll public turned up in good numbers to air their views on plans to improve Lochgilphead front green and Colchester Square.
An open day on the green attracted a steady stream of people on Saturday. And there is plenty for the project team to consider as the plans move to the next stage.
More than 200 people braved a cold Lochgilphead day to attend a public consultation on the future of the town's front green.
There were plenty of opinions, from people of all ages, to mull over for the team tasked with coming up with plans to improve the waterfront area and the adjacent Colchester Square.
A total of £1,121,000 will be available for practical measures from Argyll and Bute Council’s Tarbert and Lochgilphead Regeneration Fund.
The first stage of the project is to develop options and a project design team, led by landscape design firm erz, is engaging with community groups to help inform the initial design options for the front green and Colchester Square.
On Saturday March 9 the team set up camp on a MacLeod Construction trailer on the front green to canvass opinion, and there was plenty of it.
One option being considered is to raise the level of the front green as a whole to combat sea flooding, but there was a widespread view among members of the public that proper sea defences would have to be built first.
There are hopes, though, that separate government funding could be secured to build a sea wall.
Ideas for the space itself include a town square as a mirror image of Colchester Square on the green side of the A83; better car parking; an improved play park; seating areas and upgraded lighting.
Everything, within budget, is up for grabs.
If you missed Saturday's event, there is an online questionnaire that will remain live until Monday (March 18) where you can have your say.
The information boards from the public consultation are also on display at the Lochgilphead Community Centre, Manse Brae until Monday.
Rolf Roscher of erz, who is leading the consultation on the front green, told the Advertiser: ‘We’ve talked to businesses around Colchester Square and we have also engaged with the secondary school to get pupils’ input.
‘Then there’s the community council and we met with Mid Argyll Chamber of Commerce.
He added: ‘The open event went fantastically well, both in terms of turnout but also the quality of conversations we’ve been having.
‘The positive thing is that there is a lot of consensus among people about what the issues are and what changes need to be made.
‘Much of that chimes with the direction we’ve been moving in, but then again there are some ideas people have suggested which I think look at things differently.
‘We’ve gathered some fresh information with some ideas about different ways of handling a few things, so it has been really good.
‘Despite the cold, the day was really enjoyable. The fact people are so interested and involved in this makes a real difference.’
An outline of the project can be found at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/frontgreen