Council building in Scotland turned into accessible community centre

As councils across Great Britain try to balance the books by making cuts and selling off assets, a Scottish community has provided a great example of how this process can bring direct benefits to local people.

A 105-year-old council building has been sold off in the town of Turriff, Aberdeenshire. The building in question was used as council offices until 2013. With the SNP-led administration wanting to significantly reduce their property portfolio, the Municipal Building was sold off to the community and official handover will be completed in 2016.

Now known as Turriff Town House, Turriff Community Council has announced big plans for it to become a social community centre that really is accessible to all.

They have applied for planning permission to install a stair lift to ensure that those with limited mobility have full access to the building, and its location on the High Street means that it is very much a part of the local community and easy to get to.

As reported by The Press and Journal, community council member John Smith said, “It’s an old building and it doesn’t have disabled access so we’ve put an application in to change that. It’s a routine thing.

“We want to continue to use it as a centre for the community – you can’t have the whole community involved without disabled access.”

As well as benefitting the council’s budget, over a dozen community groups have been using the centre for their get-togethers and events, including the NHS and Clan Cancer Support. Turriff Town House has also been used to hold celebrations throughout the year, including at Halloween and Christmas. It has started to become a venue for use by all, and this will be taken a step further once the new stairlift is installed.

For more information about Turriff Town House, visit their website or their Facebook page.

Image Credit: JThomas (geograph.org.uk)