After wrangling over price and Scottish Government interference, an Argyll and Bute community is to find out whether its bid to take over an historic estate will go head
A make or break meeting on Thursday will decide whether locals will be given the opportunity to regenerate an ailing rural community by purchasing a historic estate.
The South Cowal Community Development Company (SCCDC) aims to acquire the Castle Toward estate at Rothesay Bay from Argyll and Bute Council using right-to-buy legislation.
SCCDC had a £750,000 bid for the estate turned down by the council’s policy and resources committee in December and by the full council in January.
It follows confusion over the value of the estate, with the Scottish Government’s district valuer putting it at a £1.75 million while estate agent Savills estimates it is worth just £850,000.
The council had offered SCCDC a £1 million loan to help it buy the estate for £1.75m, however this was turned down by SCCDC, which claims the £4.8m cost of renovations make it an unrealistic asking price.
However, with the empty estate falling further into a state of disrepair and costing the council £350,000 a year, pressure is mounting for it to reconsider the community's bid.
Earlier this year, government ministers asked the council to reduce the asking price. A 38 Degrees petition calling on local officials to reduce the asking price from £1,750,000 to £750,000 has now also amassed over 10,000 signatures.
The petition states: “The community project will create in excess of 80 jobs in an area that desperately needs them.
The project will do more for the area than anything the council has so far done
“It will also create an attraction that will attract visitors to a beautiful part of Argyll, further boosting the areas fragile economy.
“The project will do more for the area than anything the council has so far done in relation to the estate.
“The communities of Dunoon, Innellan and Toward are united behind this project, unlike the council, who have only put obstacles in the way.”
SCCDC says it has a business plan to finance the estate's £4.8m regeneration and create an outdoor education facility alongside a tea room, holiday accommodation and workshops.
Bute SNP councillor Isobel Strong said: “It looks as if the council leadership are out of step as both Highland and Island Enterprise and the Scottish Land Fund are willing to come on board, but the council needs to be realistic and allow the price of £750,000 which would make the project viable.
“The economy of South Cowal and beyond would be boosted with 80 jobs being created and tourism revitalised in the area. For a council which is presiding over depopulation at an increasing rate I cannot understand why this opportunity for regeneration is being spurned.”
Community campaigner Lorna Ahlquist said the Cowal community was asking for no favours.
“It wants to put £750,000 into council coffers, save the expenditure on upkeep that is draining money from the whole of Argyll and Bute, and create jobs, inward investment and put £1m into the economy,” she said.
A spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council confirmed councillors will discuss the issue on Thursday at a specially convened meeting, after which the outcome will be made public.
