DUNOON

A grant to restore Bookpoint, in Dunoon’s Ferry Brae, has inspired owners within the building to source funding to complete the building’s facelift.

The book shop was awarded a Shopfront grant through Dunoon Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS), in July 2019 and work began in January this year. The work included a new curved glass window; replacement stallriser tiling; hand painted signs; timber repairs; replacement windows and redecoration.

As some common repairs were also required to the parent building, the owners came together to form an owners’ association, allowing them to apply to the council’s housing services for private sector housing grants towards roof repairs and to repaint the building.

To date, the CARS project has helped six owners’ associations set up in tenement properties to make carrying out common repairs easier.

Dunoon CARS is a £1.9m programme, jointly funded by Historic Environment Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council, aimed at the regeneration of historical buildings as well as traditional skills training and community engagement.