A pop-up display of plans for the rejuvenation of The Square in Kirriemuir will be mounted today as part of a final push to give locals a say in the way forward.
The revamp of the town centre is one of the projects being delivered through Kirriemuir Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) a five-year, £1.1 million council project focused on breathing new life into the burgh’s historic heart.
The designs aim to make The Square a key focal point for the cultural identity of Kirriemuir, reinvigorating the area with new paving and street furniture, including seating, cycle stands and litter bins.
The consultation has already attracted a decent response, but the council has extended the deadline for comments until May 23 and hope that today’s move will generate plenty of opinion from people on the street.
Community councillor Cathy Stephenson, a member of the CARS steering group, encouraged people to come to The Square, where the covered display of the revamp designs will be set up between noon and 4pm.
“A revamped Square will be such an exciting development for the town centre,”she said. “I hope residents and local businesses will come along and have a look at the plans in The Square it’s a great chance to compare what we’ve got now with what we could have in the future.
“The designs bring our local identity into the very fabric of The Square and we’re really keen to hear what people think about them. These are proposals, nothing has been decided, so this is a genuine opportunity for local people to influence what our Square will look like in the future.”
The designs are based on a timeline inset in granite into the paving, featuring text from Kirrie author Sir J M Barrie which curves around the space, starting from the Peter Pan statue.
Curved timber and stainless steel seating is proposed around the timeline and feature granite squares would carry engravings highlighting Kirriemuir’s cultural past and present.
Members of the creative team working on the designs will be on hand to answer questions about the designs and record comments.
The designs are also online at www.angus.gov.uk where comments can be submitted and more information about the scheme is available.
Kirriemuir Heritage Trust also recently added its voice to the call for folk to air their views on the plans.
The trust is at odds with some of the possibilities which have been suggested for the new-look Square, including a proposal for a statue of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott, but say it is important that as much local opinion as possible is put forward to guide the final design choices.
CARS is a partnership between Historic Scotland and Angus Council to provide a jointly-funded grant programme to enhance the Kirriemuir Conservation Area.
It will run until 2018 and is also focusing on other town centre buildings including the Glengate Hall and the empty Airlie Arms Hotel.