Marquee delight for Fort William Town Team
FORT William’s Town Team has been awarded £ 892 for a temporary marquee to be used in Cameron Square.
The funds were awarded by Foundation Scotland following the team’s application at the beginning of April.
Sue Keen from the Town Team said: ‘The professional quality waterproof gazebo measures 4 x 8 metres and comes complete with weights and side walls with windows if required. It’s a ‘popup’ design so it should be fairly easy to put up and take down. Primarily we’ll be using it on wet days when passengers from cruise ships are in town, but who knows what other uses we may find for it.’
The canopy will also be available for charities and non-profit making groups to borrow.
The proposal to build a permanent structure just off the High Street was a joint venture between Fort William Town Team (FWTT) and Fort William Marina and Shoreline Company (FWMSC).
However, concerns raised by nearby shops and business owners that the structure’s size meant it would hide them from view of visitors, lead to the withdrawl of the planning application, which was submitted to the council last year.
Until alternative plans can be agreed, the temporary marquee will be put in place.
Sarah Kennedy of the FWMSC told the Lochaber Times the marquee is due to arrive from Denmark in time for the next cruise ship. She said: ‘It apparently only takes 60 seconds to pop up which is perfect because we didn’t want one which would take a lot of people to set it up.’
Mrs Kennedy emphasised the structure, which belongs to the Town Team, is temporary and can be used by charities and non profit making groups in the town: ‘It will allow people to make a real thing of charities events.’
The Lochaber Times has donated £100 to the Town Team, after member James Kennedy painted Cinema Lane.