Residents have hit out at Moray Council for trying to charge them rent on a “rotten shed” built by local volunteers.
The Dufftown and District Community Association is questioning a decision by the local authority to levy an annual fee on a dilapidated storage shed in the town’s Tininver Park.
The group says the shed was built by the local Highland Games committee, and is on land that was gifted to Dufftown.
Residents also claim Moray Council planned to demolish the building until the group’s Jim Nicol suggested members could develop it.
But after talks to arrange a community asset transfer fell through, the local authority has requested the group pay a £300 fee each year to use it.
Dufftown stalwart Mr Nicol, who also helps organise the town gala, says that in its current state the building is unusable and volunteers had simply been trying to secure the future of a facility built by townspeople for townspeople.
He said: “This shed has been broken into so often that Moray Council are unable to rent it out.
“It isn’t robust enough, and they haven’t been willing to spend any money to fix it.
“When the council said it wanted to demolish the shed we asked if we could take it over, and we were told to get a community asset transfer.
“But the word came back that as we don’t own the ground we would have to take it over on a long-term lease at £300 a year.
“I understand the council need to make money, but what is galling is that we’re doing this for the good of the community.
“They wanted to bulldoze the shed before they became aware of our plans to restore it.”
Moray Council was unable to comment on the group’s bid last night, but Speyside and Glenlivet councillor Mike McConachie confirmed the hut was constructed by locals on community land.
“The park the shed sits on would have been part of the Dufftown common good, and the shed was built by the Highland Games group,” he said.
Mr Nicol said he was still hopeful of reaching a satisfactory conclusion.
He estimates that it would cost the group about £5,000 to replace the roof and attach a secure door.
And if his plans to rejuvenate the rundown hut come to fruition he aims to convert it into a men’s shed as well as a storage site.
Mr Nicol said: “At the end of the day, the council would ultimately have a bonny shed in the park rather than what we have now.
“It’s big enough to have a men’s shed facility, and we’re quite keen to share it with other groups in the town like the Scouts.
“The shed is ideal for storing gala equipment, we usually have a hassle moving everything from the bottom of the town for the day and it would solve that.
“Folk are very hard on Moray Council, but I will try to meet them halfway on everything.”