An unloved Lossiemouth landmark could be poised for a new lease of life under £750,000 improvement plans.
Proposals to convert the town’s bandstand area into a cafe, tourist information centre and exhibition space have been unveiled.
The former railway station building occupies a spot along the seafront which offers spectacular views of the East Beach, and is popular with visitors.
But the Lossiemouth Community Development Trust says its potential has been wasted for too long.
Members of the group yesterday outlined their ambitious plans to rejuvenate it.
An appraisal of the Station Park site determined that the bandstand and accompanying community garden area would be ideal for a “multi-purpose tourist facility”.
The bandstand could also be used to stage more concerts, a role it fulfills already during the town’s annual Seafest event.
The trust is now asking for residents to offer some input on how best to drive the revamp forward.
Information will be on display during an open event at the Stotfield Hotel from 4pm to 8pm on Tuesday, April 18.
Chairwoman, Donna Milne, said they had commissioned a 42-page report on the “underused” building, which features a variety of options for its future.
She said: “These range from doing nothing, making some repairs to the existing bandstand to completely redeveloping the site.
“At our previous community meetings it became clear that the two sites that hold most importance for people living in the town are Station Park and the Seatown Bridge.
“However, we are a bit more advanced in our plans for Station Park, and this appraisal provides the community with a look at the possibilities for what is a very important part of Lossiemouth.”
Mrs Milne said that local views would be crucial to how they progress the proposals.
She added: “When we have gathered the views of people in the town we will turn our attention to a more detailed plan.
“At that point, we will look at the various funding options open to us.
“The Station Park project has potential to be far and away the largest community-led scheme ever undertaken in Lossiemouth.”
The group is negotiating taking over control of the site from Moray Council.
