Update – Pinwherry and Pinmore Community Development Trust now own the former Pinwherry Primary School, thanks to a successful Community Asset Transfer application!
The current village hall, which has served the community well for many years, is coming to the end of its useful life. The mainly wooden construction is beginning to fail and over the next few years it is likely to deteriorate to the extent that the cost of repair will render the building unviable. It was built in 1924 by local farmers to replace the village meeting place in the old creamery. Currently the hall is non-compliant with current Disability Discrimination Act requirements with no disabled access, disabled toilets and is no longer fit for purpose. The lack of parking and its constrained design restrict its use for our local organisations and to meet and future community’s needs. As a result, the community has looked at different options, and an obvious alternative is the former primary school, which, though in need of considerable renovation, would, in the long-term, provide a practical and sustainable solution.
To take this forward we consulted with the community across a number of different meetings and via a community-wide questionnaire which was delivered to every adult in the parish and made available online in February 2020. The results of the questionnaire proved that there is support from the community for the proposal to convert the school into a community facility.
Asset Transfer
The PPCDT have been working with South Ayrshire Council on a Community Asset Transfer of the redundant Pinwherry Primary School Buildings. After a community, public meeting the communities wish is to transform the buildings in a fit for purpose community hub facility. The Stage 2 Community Asset Transfer application to South Ayrshire Council was approved in January 2021 and PPCDT formerly took ownership of the school on 23rd April 2021!
The new facility will give the community a new fit for purpose community hub were new initiatives and programmes can be run. This will bring a much locally loved building back into community use. The Schools memorial stone will be relocated in the grounds, with the world war1 memorial being re-instated in the hall.
The PPCDT would welcome local residents to become involved not so much as physical work, but help with ideas and planning in what the future communities needs are.
