Planners give green light to main building
Another milestone has been achieved for The Rockfield Centre building project with planning permission now granted for the refurbishment work on the main centre building.
This is another significant step along the way for Oban Communities Trust working to get the former primary school in the heart of Oban reopened as a community/ cultural hub.
Notes of interest for the tender process for the work have already been submitted with an anticipated start date of December this year.
Andrew Pinkerton, who is co-ordinating the design team of Page and Park, architects for The Rockfield Centre, said: ‘This is hugely exciting since we are now starting the next stage of the journey to getting work actually started at The Rockfield Centre.
‘We have already had a specialist complete a test refurbishment to one of the windows which will give an idea of how much work is involved in this area.
‘If everything goes according to plan the work will run throughout 2019 with the building opening in 2020.
‘Fundraising still needs to continue to secure the overall target of £3million, so the community shares fundraising target is really important. The more raised through community shares means the less that has to be borrowed to bridge the funding gap for the overall spend.’
The keys to the building were handed over to the community in 2015 and since then Oban Communities Trust has been working to secure funding to refurbish the building.
Meanwhile an active and varied programme of arts, education, culture and social wellbeing operates from the community huts of The Rockfield Centre www.therockfieldcentre.org.uk
Gordon McNab, trust chairman said: ‘Please talk to your friends, club together to buy a block of shares through our ‘High Fives for the Rockfield Centre’ initiative; and support our efforts to achieve opening on time and get this hub in the heart of Oban beating once more. We are now sitting at nearly £100,000.’
For more information visit the trust’s office in the huts beside Rockfield Centre community charity shop, from 11am-4pm Monday to Saturday or visit www.therockfieldcentre.org/invest