PLANS FOR POLICE BASE
New uses for Blair station?
One of four main areas of development that are being looked at by those involved in the charrette process in Blairgowrie is potential uses for empty premises.
During the community discussion, a number of ideas were put forward for shared usage of Blairgowrie’s police station with Police Scotland, who would continue to operate from the Ericht Lane site.
Blairgowrie and Rattray community councillor, Stuart Nichol, explained at a recent meeting: “Police Scotland are willing to consider proposals to use the majority of the buildings that they no longer require for operational reasons.
“If the ownership of the building is eventually transferred to community ownership Police Scotland would be an anchor tenant for part of the building.”
One of the ideas put forward included creating an information centre for outdoor pursuits that could act as a focal point for the start of the Cateran Trail, walking and cycling routes, local wildlife and fishing.
Other suggestions included creating a focal point for arts and crafts, workshops and galleries, a base for the Mens’ Shed, an indoor play area for children with adult relaxation spaces and bookable rooms for meetings and functions.
The development of an interactive museum or heritage centre telling the story of the town and area and providing information on where to see historical evidence today, as well as preserving the town’s heritage, was suggested.
It was also mooted that Perth and Kinross Council’s local services could share the premises as part of a community hub, which would in turn free-up space in their current building allowing for the potential expansion of the library, for example.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We are committed to working with communities to consider how we best deliver policing services to reflect their priorities.
“Many of our buildings no longer meet current operational requirements therefore, Police Scotland is currently looking at its estate to assess the best options for our accommodation needs within our communities. This includes consultation with a number of key partners and local community groups.”
Blairgowrie and Glens councillor Caroline Shiers, has been involved in the discussions.
She said: “I met with senior officers from Police Scotland back in April to discuss the possibility of finding a use for the areas of the police station which I could see were under-used and to try to find a solution which would see a public police presence in the town coupled with use of the building by the community.
“So many ideas have been gathered together - by the Ericht Trust and other groups - and it is fantastic that, from that early informal discussion with the police, we are now at a stage of recruiting volunteers to take forward the possibility of securing community-led facilities in this prominent building, right in the middle of Blairgowrie.
“I would encourage volunteers to come forward to help and I look forward to working with the police and the community to take this project forward.
“I would also like to thank Police Scotland for the really positive approach they have taken to this so far.”
If anyone is interested in getting involved, please email Mr Nichol on stuart. nichol2@btinternet.com.