Chance to scrutinise £3m plan
Cowane’s project latest
People from the Top of the Town and city centre will later this month be able to find out more about the proposed £3 million Cowane’s Hospital development.
A consultation event is being held at the historic almshouse on November 29 between 6pm and 8pm at which details of the project will be given.
Architects and members of the design team will be available to talk about the proposals to turn the 17th Century property into one of Stirling’s key visitor attractions.
Use of Cowane’s has over the past two years had to be curtailed because of its poor state of repair.
However, in January of this year the Heritage Lottery Fund pledged almost £2 million towards its restoration and a £226,000 contribution to the £330,000 cost of developing detailed plans for the restoration and establishing a design team.
A project team has been appointed along with architects Benjamin Tindall and design consultants Studioarc, both Edinburgh, and Tourism UK were given the job of business planners.
Efforts are now underway to raise additional cash, between £300,000 and £400,000, needed to complete the work.
And an application to turn HLF’s £2 million pledge into reality has to be lodged with them by June next year. An answer is expected the following September and if they receive the go-ahead then work on the restoration could start at the end of 2018 with the opening scheduled for December of the following year.
It is hoped the revived Cowane’s will feature restored historic rooms and kitchens; an exhibition about the hospital, Scottish trade and charity; gardens and bowling green returned to their 18th century splendour, and costumed guides and fun family activities.
There are further plans for the complex to host community heritage projects and P6 and P7 pupils from Allan’s Primary and Raploch Primary and S1s from Wallace High and Stirling High are to be recruited as costumed guides for other pupils..
Myleen Smith-Herd, project administrator employed by Cowane’s Hospital Maintenance Trust, gave details of the consultation event last Thursday at a meeting of Mercat Cross and City Centre Community Council.
She said the event was to encourage community engagement and added: “We want (the restored centre) to be not just a visitor attraction but also a place used by the community.
“Members of the team involved in the renovation and restoration – including the architects, business planners and designers – will be there to answer questions and present their plans.
“Everyone who lives at the Top of the Town town is invited to participate.”
Ms Smith-Herd said the event would have a Christmas flavour with songs from the pupils of Stirling High and the serving of non-alcoholic mulled wine and mince pies.
Project development manager Rob Robinson said they had carried out extensive surveys on the building, checking acoustics, drains, asbestos and condition of stained glass in windows within the building.
He added: “The project, if it goes ahead, will make a significant difference to the Top of the Town and in particular add to the tourism product in the city.
“The hope and plan is that it will pull together all these slightly disparate attractions – Church of the Holy Rude, Cowane’s, Old Town Jail – as a destination, drawing people down from the castle and encouraging them to stay in the city longer and spend more money there.”
He said the changes would create jobs and volunteer roles at the Top of the Town, but added that it was now vital they received feedback from the community about the plans.
Cowane’s Hospital was created by the man reputed to be Stirling area’s greatest benefactor, John Cowane, to provide care for fellow merchants who had fallen on hard times.