Fort William 2040 (FW2040)

The Vision

The FW2040 consultation process generated feedback on the sort of place Fort William and its wider area could, and should be. Most of the focus was on physical, spatial ideas about the better use of land and water but contributors also recognised that far more could be achieved if all stakeholders work together.

The consensus view on the wider qualities and values the town and area should represent and were distilled into the following themes:

• A Great Place to Live - with a unique landscape and distinctive local communities. Sufficient and affordable housing is a key issue for the area, as well as facilities and accommodation for visitors, with a need to attract and retain a diverse range of residents, visitors, and enterprises.
• A Connected Place - highlights the need to maximise opportunities for a diverse range of transport and other connecting networks including new technologies.
• A Place Facing Water - this theme focuses on the importance of water and the need to take full advantage of existing water assets to support industry, tourism, and communities.
• A Place with Collective Vision - This underpins all work on FW2040 and is about new ways of working based on strong partnerships and good communication.

Addressing the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency

The 2019 feedback introduced a new theme of 'Addressing the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency', which many respondents felt should be a guiding principle for FW2040.

From this, it was agreed that project delivery partners should work towards Fort William becoming a net-zero town. All of the larger FW2040 projects will be subject to further environmental assessment as they progress. All projects regardless of scale, will be encouraged to consider ways in which they can contribute to the net-zero target.