Scaffolding comes down as extensive restoration work revealed

For the first time since 2010, Campbeltown’s Main Street is scaffolding free.

Contractors were on site last week removing scaffold from the tenement at 3 Longrow South, the latest building in the town centre to be repaired via the Campbeltown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) round six.

Scaffold was also removed from the neighbouring property at 44 Main Street last month.

The external fabric of both buildings has been repaired to a conservation standard using traditional methods and materials.

Kintyre firms were the main contractors on both projects, with Calum McKinven Joiners and Builders working on 3 Longrow South, the company’s largest major tenement refurbishment project, and McKinven and Colville Ltd on site at 44 Main Street.

The 3 Longrow South project covered MacGochan’s Bar, Bank of Scotland and four flats above, while the 44 Main Street project also covered MacGochan’s Bar, as well as Rolland Butter, The Kintyre Larder and four flats above.

The total cost of both projects, including design fees and VAT, was more than £350,000.

The owners contributed £5,000 per flat or shop with the balance being met by grants from CARS and Argyll and Bute Council’s Private Sector Housing budget.

On both contracts a number of specialist sub-contractors were involved including lead contractors, a stonemason, plumbers and painters.

Work included stripping existing slates; carrying out timber repairs to areas affected by rot; replacement of lead; taking down and rebuilding dangerous chimneys; reinstatement of Scottish slate; stone repairs, repointing and the replacement of cast iron rainwater goods.

Safeguarding

Tom Millar, chairman of the owners’ association for the 3 Longrow South project and a director of DTB Argyll Ltd, which owns MacGochan’s Bar, told the Courier: ‘The work carried out in Longrow South under the CARS scheme has been instrumental in bringing these buildings and businesses back into use.

‘This has allowed the safeguarding of businesses to continue trading and with the former MacGochan’s Bar building, we can now move forward with plans from interested parties to ensure the building in the centre of the town is repaired and open for business.’

There will be one final project delivered via the CARS which is funded by Historic Environment Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council with property owners also contributing to the cost of repairs.

Close 1 at Mafeking Place is due to start on site this summer with the majority of work on the replacement of the main skylight, extensive leadwork to the roofs and dormers and slating.

This will ensure that the entire CARS budget has been committed to safeguarding the future of some of the town’s oldest properties.

The scheme, or CARS round six, is due to end in March 2020, signalling the completion of 13 years of regeneration work in the town centre.

It all started in 2007 when Argyll and Bute Council secured funding to launch the round one CARS.

In 2009 the council secured additional funding of £700,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to deliver the Campbeltown Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI).

Through these projects a number of properties were fully repaired, conserved and brought back into use including, Campbeltown Town Hall, Campbeltown Backpackers’ hostel and the tenements at 50 to 52 Main Street/Cross Street and 13 to 15 Kirk Street.

In total more than £10 million has been spent on repairs to the historic town centre.

For more CARS news, see next week’s Courier.

Timber replacements where hidden rot had weakened the roof structure.

The chimney rebuild underway. Where possible, original bricks were salvaged for re-use.

Most of this chimney at 50 to 52 Main Street dates to the late 18th century, before 44 Main Street was built. The mortar had long since failed and the chimney had to be partially taken down before re-building, which is underway in this photograph.