Views invited On The Development Of Key Site
A public meeting is to be held in the West Church Hall, Cromarty on Tuesday 6 September at 7.30 pm to outline the development potential of a 1.3 hectare site south of the High Street and the Townlands Barn. This follows on from consideration of the community’s views on the site in relation to draft Ross and Cromarty East Local Plan.
A draft Development/Design Brief has recently been prepared by The Highland Council’s Planning and Development Service to guide development and invite comments. This seeks a layout and design in keeping with the Outstanding Conservation Area. The Ross and Cromarty Area Planning Committee will be asked earlier on Tuesday to agree the draft Brief as the basis of public consultation over the following 4 weeks.
The land has potential for up to 30 dwellings, including a large proportion of locally affordable housing needs identified in a survey undertaken in 2003 by the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust on behalf of the Cromarty and District Community Council. The draft Brief also indicates the potential to accommodate community facilities, possibly a modern surgery/health centre and endorses the proposals by the Highland Buildings Preservation Trust for the restoration of the adjacent Category A listed Townlands Barn.
Detailed proposals for the site may be promoted through a design competition with further input from the local community. As a taster for this Tom Duff of LDN Architects will be revealing some of the design potential of the site at Tuesday’s meeting in a presentation commissioned by the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust. The Trust’s Development Manager, Di Alexander commented: "The Highland Small Communities Housing Trust is delighted to help demonstrate the site’s potential to the community. This offers a unique opportunity to not only provide much needed affordable housing within the town, but to do so in a way that compliments the existing architecture and layout that makes Cromarty so special. The public meeting will allow people to find out about plans so far and to have questions about these answered."