PHOTO: Willie Urquhart/WHFP
The committee of Balmacara hall is inviting members of the surrounding community to contribute to the future vision of the Old Mill Hall in the iconic heart of Balmacara Square.
Supported by the Architectural Heritage Fund, MAAC Studio and Impact Hub Inverness have been commissioned to produce a business plan and design proposal to help assess the suitability of restoring the Balmacara community hall into a fully functioning, community-owned building. An important part of this study is consulting with the local community to find out what level of support there might be for this project and the proposed uses of the building. A short survey will gather the views of the local community on the proposed restoration of the building and also on the possible uses of the building should it go ahead.
The hall, which has two levels and dates back to the 18th century, currently lies in disrepair with the last attempts to restore and renovate it being over a decade ago. With a new committee in place ready to explore the opportunities, it is hoped a restored hall might offer a range of much-needed services to the village and beyond.
Heading up the restoration project is Mike Shucksmith who said: “This is an exciting opportunity to look towards restoring our community hall. By completing the survey you will help us with your thoughts and ideas to shape what the hall could offer again in the future.”
The survey is available online at inverness.impacthub.net/surveys.html and is open until 12th March 2021 after which the project team will look over the feasibility of using the former mill as a new hub for the community.
For any further information please contact Mike Shucksmith on mike.shucksmith@gmail.com