The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Boom time’ for Crieff
CRIEFF IS set for a major boom over the next five years, with huge efforts being made to improve an already vibrant community.
The town’s community trust is to unveil the findings of an extensive consultation process next month and then take forward plans to improve its centre.
Funding will be sought to save and rejuvenate historic buildings and shop fronts to make the town more attractive. Those improvements are largely cosmetic, according to the trust, which believes Crieff is already a great place to live.
An indication of what it has to offer is provided by new figures released by the Perthshire Solicitors Property Centre, which reveal that the town has emerged as a Perthshire property market hot spot.
A staggering £12.5 million worth of homes have been sold in Crieff alone so far this year – representing a 14.6% rise in sales when compared with 2011.
PSPC said the figures were concrete evidence – were any needed – that Strathearn continues to be a popular choice among purchasers, whether they are looking to relocate, downsize or want a holiday retreat.
C r i e ff Community Trust’s Ailsa Campbell told The Courier: “I am not surprised that Crieff is a hotspot. It has a huge amount to offer, despite its somewhat tired town centre, which is one area that the trust is working hard to improve.
“We are in the process of forming a really strong action plan for the town that will enable us to seek funding for improvements. Our Open Day on September 22 will be a huge event for Crieff and will enable local residents to see the results of our consultation. We will be asking them to vote on what they want to see happen to make our town even better. “I am confident that the next five years will be a real boom time for Crieff.”
PSPC manager Anne Begg said house sales in Crieff were bucking the national and local trend, with the market slowing down elsewhere.
“We are delighted to report that the popular holiday town of Crieff is faring so well when the general climate remains static,” she said.
“The first half of the year was positive for Perthshire but things have slowed a little during the second half. As we can see in Crieff in particular, houses are selling across all sectors, though in most areas at a slower pace and reaching a lower price than sellers might have hoped for.”
The Crieff Community Action Plan will be the blueprint for the Crieff Community Trust’s projects for the next five years.
In order for the CCT to be successful in acquiring large grants from organisations such as Big Lottery Fund and CARS (Historic Scotland’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme) to sort out the town’s derelict buildings and other costly projects, it must provide evidence that it is acting on behalf of the town and the wishes of the majority of residents and business owners.
It is hoped that the community will turn out in force at the action plan open day at the Strathearn Community Campus on September 22 between noon and 4pm.
People can see the findings of community consultation and vote for projects that the trust can take forward. There will be live music, face painting and refreshments.