Cadogan acquired the Active Kids business in 2015 as a small, predominantly outdoor children's play and animal park that was struggling to make a profit and remain open all year round in the face of unreliable weather and the subsequent closure of the A9 main access road. As a generational landowner with a long-term ownership strategy both north and south of the border, the owners' key objectives are to protect and enhance their assets.For Active Kids, which had significant potential with the expanding nearby village of Stanley and the new A9 access, this meant investing in a large indoor family play area and cafe/retail to ensure the business could remain open, both as a visitor attraction, enhancing Stanley village and providing longer term employment for a larger number of staff (increased from 4 to 20).
The development was carried out to provide a year-round offering, to remove the seasonal element of the business and to provide an indoor play offer for older children up to the age of 12 (previously there was only a small indoor play area for toddlers). There were many challenges to this project, from the early stages when Covid took the business into a long period of closure while the development was being planned. A decision had to be made whether to close the business permanently or to invest. Cadogan decided to take the risk and proceed with the development, despite the relatively uncertain future of the indoor facilities and cafes and the loss of staff during the period of Covid's closure. The build itself started in January 2021, when the war in Ukraine began and material costs and availability increased significantly. There were also difficulties throughout the build with limited access to the A9, which was being dualled.
It was important for the business to remain open and trading throughout the construction period, using only the outdoor park, in order to retain staff and the existing customer base of schools and families. This proved challenging at times, but meant that when the business reopened it had the staff to do so and a loyal customer base to use the new facilities. Without vision and investment, the small local attraction would undoubtedly have folded, but the business has not only been embraced, it has responded positively to the changing landscape of Perth, making a significant planning contribution to the upgrading of the A9 and recognising the needs of nearby housing developments to attract and support young families.
The private investment in this rural area has been significant and only made possible by the strength of the family estate from across the UK. The new, large, purpose-built timber play area better supports a wider age range of children from 0 to 12, and has specialist facilities to support disabilities, ensuring an invaluable inclusive capability. The company has partnered with the Perthshire Autism Society, recognising the role it can play in supporting the charity, not only by providing the facility, but also by raising awareness and funds. During the design phase it was important that the building was as 'green' as possible, including a new large air source heat pump system and electric vehicle charging points.
To power these 'green' facilities, further investment is being made in the addition of a 50kW solar array (planning has been approved for a 250kW scheme but unfortunately there is not the grid capacity to support this proposal at this stage), which will power the air source heating and ensure a warm, dry environment, ensuring an all weather, all year round facility and for the business to be as self-sufficient as possible. A trial farm shop will open in the summer of 2023, using local produce and supporting local farming businesses through the use of a new farm cluster that can showcase the wide range of excellent local food available from the immediate area. There is also an ambition to expand the site to include a nursery to support the growing young population in the surrounding village. Sustainable, natural, local and multi-generational are the threads that tie together this ambitious project within a rural community, all achieved through private investment and long-term commitment.