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I read with interest the piece on the Friends of the Birks being awarded £320,000 to initiate the revival of the cinema, but as this is taxpayers money, a couple of questions ambled into my head. See: Aberfeldy Regeneration Award Success
How is the purchase to proceed? The Cinema is currently on the market at £230,000, as it has been for a while, so I would assume the actual worth of the building is less than its current asking price. Now that the owners knows there is a cheque for £320,000 what’s to stop them demanding all of that?
The article suggested that the total project cost could be in the order of £1.4 million. How and by when will that be raised?
Has there been any survey which states that a fully commissioned cinema in Aberfeldy would be a going concern?
We already have the Locus Centre, and the newly revamped town hall, and the new school will be available soon. Do we really need another projection venue?
Don’t get me wrong, the idea of a viable boutique cinema is a great one, but I wonder if the homework has been done to ensure that the community won’t be left with a derelict cinema in 4 years time, which has been paid for with taxpayers’ money.
What checks and balances do the Scottish Executive ask for to ensure the project is a viable one?
Alastair Irvine
Weem
December 1st, 2009 at 8:40 pm
I have read and understood everything written about the possible regeneration of the Aberfeldy cinema. The most important thing for this venture if it is successful is that it appeals to the masses. If it cannot do this, it will fail. The majority usually like to see popular films and anything too unusual or highbrow will not appeal to families or people in need of entertaining escapism.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
When I said the above, I meant below!! Sorry Ali, at least your message was polite!!
November 5th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Charlotte, Don’t take the verbal assault above personally, you and the birks group have done everything open and above board, you have conducted everything in public and consulted extensively with the community. You should be very proud of trying to make something of the old cinema. The easiest thing would be to do nothing.
You have my 100% support, dont let the moaners put you down!
October 29th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Hey Ron,
Very well put.
Can you get these on the NHS ?
Cheers,
Joe
October 13th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
curry house closed.
Tragic.
October 9th, 2009 at 11:53 am
In reply to Alastair Irvine’s worries about the award from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, I’m sorry if the piece in last month’s issue of Comment was unclear. He can rest assured that the fund will not release more than the market value of the building, and that this has been determined by an independent surveyor and the District Valuer.
As to his other concerns, there isn’t the space here to discuss them in full, but I can say that over the past three years we have put in what I hope he would regard as a decent amount of work in the form of a feasibility study, local survey, public meetings, architectural designs, planning permission and research into sources of public and private finance for community projects.
Although no business venture comes with guarantees, we are confident that if we are lucky enough to be able to purchase it on behalf of the community, the Birks Cinema could be revived successfully.
Charlotte Flower
Secretary of the Birks Cinema Group
September 16th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Alastair
I read with much interest your concerns over the accountability of the “body” which purports to represent the best interests of the community. I too have the gut feeling (albeit as always, based on substantiable evidence) that there are indeed serious questions to be answered as to accountability of this group. They would seem to be afflicted by a lack of transparency in their publicity of dealings with public funds to date and are at best a group of nostalgic “also-rans” trying to emulate the genuinely positive work of the Friends of Aberfeldy Parklands who at least contributed proactively in lifting the town from its knees, along with the public alcohol ban or, at worst, they require auditory investigation as a matter of urgency. Mindful that public funds are involved, I continue to monitor the situation and to reiterate my preparedness to pursue matters, yet again, in the absence of local authority support should I deem this to be necessary.
Regards
Ron Duncan Rose
Strathtay, Highland Perthshire