Coupar Angus Townscape Heritage Initiative

What is a Townscape Heritage Initiative?
The Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) is a programme of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), which distributes a share of the money raised by the National Lottery to projects involving the heritage of the United Kingdom.

The THI programme offers grants to help communities regenerate the historic parts of their towns and cities. It is designed to address problems in areas of particular social and economic need. It encourages partnerships to carry out repairs and other works to historic properties within those areas, and improve the quality of life for all those who live, work or visit there.

The HLF contributes up to 75% to a Common Fund set up by a local partnership, which usually consists of a combination of the local authority, local charitable or building preservation trusts and local or national regeneration agencies.

The partnership appoints an Executive Committee, which assesses applications for and disburses individual grants to specific projects identified through an Action Plan. Where the HLF contribution is over £1 million, the THI scheme must also provide for education and training in traditional and craft skills.

How does it affect Coupar Angus?
The Coupar Angus Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) runs from 2007-2010. It has identified key historic buildings in the town centre within the Coupar Angus Conservation Area. These buildings are eligible for grant assistance towards repairs, reinstatement of architectural detail and re-use of vacant floor space. Some money has also been allocated to public realm works and more funds are available for education and training, including guided walks and lectures; site visits for schools and colleges; training courses to learn conservation and traditional craft skills.
The Coupar Angus Townscape Heritage Initiative is taking place alongside other socio-economic initiatives to regenerate the area.
The grants for historic building conservation come from a Common Fund of £1,841,325 which is made up from grants from the following organisations:-
Heritage Lottery Fund (£854,047) Perth and Kinross Council (596,489)
Historic Scotland (£192,000) Coupar Angus Regeneration Trust (£35,000)
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (£42,500) Communities Scotland (£121,289)
Additional non-heritage funding comes from:
Communities Scotland (£1,168,692) PKC developer’s contribution fund ((£179,344)
Owners’ contributions (Approx £1,775,000)
Which are the key buildings that have been offered grant?
Buildings within the scheme include three Priority Projects
The first Priority Project to start was the former Co-operative Store at 1-7 George Street which had been empty for about 5 years. It has been converted into 12 affordable housing units by Perthshire Housing Association Ltd and the project was completed in January 2009. The building is not listed, but is a prominent building within the Conservation Area and received a grant of over £400,000 from the THI. The building has been named Crichton Lang Court after the well known, locally born architect Crichton Lang, who was chairman of the Coupar Angus Regeneration Trust and early champion of the scheme.

The second Priority Project to start was Cumberland Barracks in Calton Street. It is a Category B listed building dating from the 18th century which is now owned by the Council and consists of 6 one bedroom flats. The THI has offered a grant of slightly over £330,000 to help fund repair work to the outside. The work includes new lime harling, rebuilding the chimneys, roof repairs and installing new historically appropriate windows and doors. Work started in February 2008 and is due for completion in mid 2009. The project has unfortunately been delayed over the winter of 2008-9 as the main contractor went into receivership. A new contractor is expected to be appointed in the spring of 2009.

Work started on the Royal Hotel and Assembly Rooms in September 2008 and this is the third Priority Project to start on site. The buildings are also Category B listed and have been empty for several years. Phase 1 will convert the Assembly Rooms into four flats which will be ready in Spring 2009; Phase 2 will follow and convert the main body of the hotel into a further seven flats. The flats will be for sale on the open market and anyone interested in purchasing one should make enquiries through the owners Ancaster Property Developers Ltd, by contacting Vic Thompson on 07711 409410. The THI have offered a grant of up to £250,000 to assist in bringing this important historic building back into re-use.

Restoration of Architectural Detail
Grants are also available for 15 other buildings identified around The Cross, High Street and George Square for the Restoration of Architectural Detail. They are marked in blue on the map.
The THI is offering grants to the owners to restore some of the lost historic architectural detail to these buildings. This includes repairing or installing appropriate doors and windows, repairing or reinstating historic shop fronts, rebuilding missing chimneys and repairing masonry with lime mortar, particularly where it has been damaged by the inappropriate use of cement mortar and render. Compare some of these photographs of the town centre with the historic photographs elsewhere on this website.
As yet none of these projects have started on site, but 6 are in the early design and grant application stages. Click here for THI map

Public Realm Works
We are also funding small scale improvements to public spaces in The Cross, George Square and by Cumberland Barracks. These are intended to enhance the setting of buildings within the scheme.
Training Grants
Even if your project does not qualify for financial assistance, you may still be able to participate in or benefit from the education and training programme being implemented as part of the THI. Further details and an application form are available here THI Training

How do I get further advice?
For information on the running of the grant scheme, advice on whether you may be able to access THI grant assistance and the education and training programme, please contact the THI Project Officer, Sara Carruthers, at:

The THI Project Officer
c/o Coupar Angus Regeneration Trust, Ground Floor Office A, Royal Bank Buildings, Union Street, Coupar Angus, PH13 9AE.
Direct Dial (01738) 475373 or 07753 324956, E-mail: SCarruthers@pkc.gov.uk