Montrose heritage enthusiasts have suffered a funding disappointment in their bid to improve the town’s historic quayside.
Montrose Heritage Trust says it has been unsuccessful in an approach to the Big Lottery Scotland Community Spaces Fund for money to help create a community waterfront park and activities area.
Despite the setback, the group has pledged to look at other sources of cash for a scheme it sees as ”unfinished business”.
The intention is to develop the area between the Bamse statue paved area to the west, and the new RNLI lifeboat station under construction to the east of the quayside area.
Project designs demonstrated the possibility of linking up all the features of the quayside in a unified panoramic vista. The trust says it consulted a host of established bodies, organisations, businesses and individuals in the town and was delighted with the level of support the scheme received.
A display of the plans and public consultation was also staged at Montrose Library and Southesk primary school ran a project on the idea, contributing exciting ideas.
The trust developed the concept in partnership with Montrose Port Authority, the RNLI and Angus Council.
Trust chairman Dr Andrew Orr said: ”This is a big disappointment for us and for all our supporters. A huge amount of work has to go into a lottery bid like this, involving many people over many months.
”I would like to take this opportunity of thanking everyone in the community who has supported us in our application.
”But we must not despair. This is still unfinished business as far as Montrose Heritage Trust is concerned.
”We now have a well worked up proposal and have demonstrated wholehearted support in the community. We will look out for some other funding sources, and hope that our councillors and the officers of Angus Council will do the same.”