Ahead of its upcoming planning application for the nearby Ladyfield Renewable Energy Park, Ridge Clean Energy (RCE) has assisted with having Inverary Pier in Scotland transferred to community ownership after 10 years of it being closed to the public.
The work began three years ago when RCE’s Community Partnership Team began to engage with the Inveraray community and Inspire Inveraray to understand what mattered most to them for the future of the town.
These discussions highlighted the town’s beloved pier had fallen into disrepair, making it unsafe and closed to the public. The community wanted this former asset to be restored and reopened once again.
The RCE team used their in-house expertise to draw up a fundraising plan, identify and apply for funding from various grant sources on behalf of Inspire Inveraray, and facilitated an ‘Option to Purchase’ agreement for the organisation. RCE and Inspire Inveraray have together raised over £244,000 enabling the community to purchase the pier and begin essential restoration work.
“Inspire Inveraray and The Inveraray Community Council are overjoyed to announce that the community now own the historic Inveraray Pier,” said Inspire Inveraray trustee and chair of Inveraray Community Council Linda Divers.
“We have many people to thank, without whom we could never have achieved this momentous day. We want to thank Geaspar and Kelly Byrne, previous owners of the pier, who provided the opportunity to bring the pier back into Community Ownership and Robin Campbell Music for their contributions.
“We also want to thank Ridge Clean Energy, Dine, Marjorie and Daniela for all the help in obtaining grants, giving us the confidence to apply for them and believing in us, as well as the local community for all the donations, big or small, and volunteer hours; without you all, we could not have made this happen.”
RCE chief executive officer Marjorie Neasham Glasgow added: “We are delighted to have used our team’s skills to support and direct this excellent community initiative.
“Not only does the Inveraray Pier have significant cultural value, it is a key asset for tourism and transport, being the only pier of its kind in the local area.
“We hope this type of early and meaningful action can be a model for working with local communities to make a real difference, and to be guided by local residents when it comes to valuable engagement.”