Community of Raasay Retail Association

Read More About The New Shop at the Church

A NEW CHAPTER FOR COMMUNITY RETAIL ON RAASAY

One of the Association’s major projects is the development of the new community shop at the former Raasay Church site. This exciting community-driven initiative marks a significant step in ensuring long-term, sustainable retail services for the island

Background: Leading up to the final purchase of the Free Presbyterian Church, various surveys were carried out in order to inform us of what to expect and the usual suspects were identified i.e. new roof, new services, new insulation & heating, asbestos removal (thankfully not the ‘worst’ kind but needs to be removed), new septictank, ground levelling and landscaping, new windows, basically new everything!

Challenges: Why do we need a new shop? Two major considerations are accessibility and space which the current shop definitely does not have. The New Shop has both. In addition, CORRA would like to provide a welcoming space whereby customers may not only shop but also stop for a cuppa, maybe cake, and a chat. The Post Office is also a must. CORRA wish to provide a staff area including an office and staff room and dedicated storage space. Toilets for both customers and staff should also be provided. The challenge is in the design and subsequent cost thereof – circa £1.5m…. Add to the mix sustainability and future proofing for generations to come and you can maybe get an idea of the ‘challenge’ we have.


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