Current Projects

The Old Courthouse, Campbeltown

The Old Courthouse, Campbeltown is a complex of buildings partially in use and partially vacant and derelict.  The buildings are believed to be amongst the oldest surviving in the town, dating at the latest from the mid 18th century.  We have added photographs to help you understand how this building complex works and have made available a brief history which you may find of interest.

Current View of the Old Courthouse

Rapid progress has been made on the Old Courthouse Project in the past year, the highlights are as follows.

• April 2010 - SBPT publish a full Options Appraisal looking at potential uses for the Old Courthouse.  The Appraisal included a detailed archive study which sheds light on the history of the building.  Funding for the Appraisal was provided by the Campbeltown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
• March 2011 - Argyll & Bute Council agree to work with SBPT to develop the Old Courthouse Project.
• May 2011 - SBPT Trustees approve a business plan for the Old Courthouse Project and authorise the team to take the project forward.
• June 2011 - SBPT submit first round applications to HLF, Historic Scotland and ERDF for the Project.
• July 2011 - ERDF Stage 1 grant application is approved, the indication being that £235,000 will be made available to the project.
• July 2011 - The Architectural Heritage Fund provide a small Project Development Grant of £2,100 to assist SBPT with ongoing development costs.
• August 2011 - SBPT submit further development funding applications to the Architectural Heritage Fund and Highlands and Islands LEADER Programme.
• 18 August 2011 - Argyll & Bute Council Full Council gives authority to pursue a Compulsory Purchase of the Old Courthouse.
• 10th October 2011 - Historic Scotland award the project a £275,000.00 Buildings Repair Grant.
• October 2011 - Unfortunately we were not successful in securing a Round 1 approval at the September HLF meeting.  The application will be re-submitted in December for a decision in March 2012.  We are grateful however to the Architectural Heritage Fund who awarded a Project Development Grant of £7,500 to the project and to the Argyll & The Islands LEADER programme who awarded £15,260 match funding.  Unfortunately without the HLF funds for development we will not be able to access the LEADER funding and will have to reapply in the New Year.  We are still optimistic for the project and hope to be able to take it forward in 2012.We now await the determination of a second application to the Architectural Heritage Fund, the LEADER grant and the HLF Heritage Grant.  If these are successful then the project will get underway in October this year.

The outline project programme is tight to allow us to make use of the ERDF funding and will see the building back in use by the end of 2013. 

The Old Courthouse features on Argyll and Bute's Townscape Heritage Initiative reserve list.

 The Old Courthouse Option Appraisal Summary  is availabe here. Digital copies of the full report are available for a small charge.