Town Team volunteer gives lane a new lease of life
A VOLUNTEER from Fort William Town Team has given a run- down lane a new lease of life in time for summer.
Cinema Lane, one of the first places people parking in Viewforth car park see as they make their way to Fort William High Street, had been looking worse for wear, with graffiti and a rotting door greeting pedestrians. The town team had been monitoring the situation and decided recently something needed to be done. At last week’s meeting, secretary Sue Keen said she had written to the owner of the restaurant with the rotting door twice and members of the team had visited the restaurant to ask about repairs, with no success.
Ms Keen said: ‘It’s one of the first parts of town people will see and it’s not a good welcome to the town. We try to encourage people to take pride in the area.’
Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward manager Dot Ferguson informed the team that as the building is privately owned, there was nothing the Highland Council could do, unless it was posing a danger. However, town team volunteer James Kennedy arranged with the owner he would tidy up the lane and give it a fresh coat of paint. Mr Kennedy told the Lochaber Times the owner had agreed to give a donation towards the cost of getting the work done. ‘The lane looks better already,’ he said. ‘It makes quite a difference.’
Sarah Kennedy, of Fort William Marina and Shoreline Company, said: ‘We want everyone to make a good impression on visitors to Fort William, so any work to make shops look nice is appreciated.’
The Lochaber Times thanks Mr Kennedy and the town team for painting its office’s side of the lane.