Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Western Isles Enterprise are currently working on a new initiative to regenerate Stornoway which could involve substantial grants for local businesses and householders to encourage the restoration of historic buildings in the town centre.

Recently Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, together with a number of other local organisations and groups set up the Stornoway Regeneration Steering Group.

Chairman of the Group, Cllr Angus McCormack, said: “ The group considers the town centre to be an area on which to concentrate. It is the historic character of the centre that gives it such a special sense of identity and one of the main reasons for it being such a pleasant place in which to shop and to walk around.

Any initiative set up to tackle the regeneration of the centre should acknowledge the historic nature of the town.”

A number of years ago the Heritage Lottery Fund set up the Townscape Heritage Initiative Grant Programme, which has been instrumental in regenerating a number of historic burghs on the mainland, transforming declining areas, boosting tourism and economic activity.

The Stornoway Regeneration Steering Group realised that this could be the ideal Initiative to use in the regeneration of the historic centre of Stornoway and provide the opportunity to access funding from a national organisation.

Applying for this funding involves a two-stage process and considerable development input. Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar made a successful submission of a Stage One Application to the Heritage Lottery Fund last year.

The Initiative centres on the regeneration and conservation of key historic buildings in the Town Centre but will also be offering financial incentives for the restoration and regeneration of commercial and residential properties.Attention will also be paid to the public spaces around key historic buildings.

The next part of the process is the Stage Two Application. This involves extensive, research work and the careful developing and refining of the individual elements of the Initiative. This will have to demonstrate to those providing funding that the money will be effectively and efficiently spent.

Development work will also involve consultation to understand and gather ideas from the local community as well as to keep people informed about the project. The views and assistance of local businesses and householders in the town centre will be critical in developing an Economic Strategy for the Initiative and undertaking a Condition Survey of town centre buildings.

It is proposed to initially set up a small exhibition/consultation area where the public will be able to learn of proposals and also submit comments/views. This will be supplemented by a more comprehensive public involvement strategy later as work progresses

The Heritage Lottery Fund together with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Western Isles Enterprise are jointly funding this work.

Stuart Bagshaw & Associates, based in Stornoway and heading a team of economic and conservation consultants have been successful in bidding to undertake this critical development stage.

The deadline for completion of the development work and submission of the Stage Two Application is set for October of this year.

If this application is successful it is hoped that work on the regeneration of the centre can begin in the first part of 2006 with the Initiative continuing for up to five years. The majority of the possible £2 million funding package will potentially come from the Heritage Lottery Fund but Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Western Isles Enterprise have also indicated that they are willing to contribute significantly to the project. The Comhairle has already approved a large proportion of its contribution.

The members of the Stornoway Regeneration Group are Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Western Isles Enterprise, Stornoway Port Authority, Western Isles Chamber of Commerce, Stornoway Amenity Trust, Lews Castle Trust, Lewis and Harris Building Preservation Trust, Stornoway Trust and Stornoway Historical Society.

The members of the Stuart Bagshaw & Associates development team are Andrew PK Wright, Ecodyn Limited, Reference Economics Consultants, Solway Heritage, The Rennie Partnership, Waterman HDC and Sandy Matheson.

For further information on the initiaitve contact Ian Wilson on 709535.

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk