Fort William Waterfront – Conclusion of Missives
Missives have been concluded between The Highland Council and Fort William Waterfront Ltd, the Council’s preferred developers of the Waterfront project in the West Highland town.
The signing of the missives took place on Thursday 21 May and will allow the developer to proceed with plans for the redevelopment of Fort William.
The missives contain conditions which protect the interests of the council and ensure that the public is fully consulted on the design brief before the planning application is submitted.
The brief will include the location, co-location, design and materials for the various key buildings on the Waterfront including a supermarket, housing, library, restaurant and promenade. The suspensive conditions stipulate that the following work must be addressed before a planning application is submitted:-
• Environmental impact assessment
• Flood risk assessment
• Re- routing of A82
• Traffic impact assessment
• Retail impact assessment
Convener Councillor Sandy Park said: “The signing of missives is a welcome milestone in this project, which is of importance not only to Lochaber but the wider Highland community. I am acutely aware from meeting the Lochaber public that they want to have their say on the waterfront development plans and this is an integral part of the agreement we have with Fort William Waterfront Ltd.”
Councillor Michael Foxley, Leader of the Council’s Administration, said: “Our officials have worked hard to deliver a good result, with the signing of the missives. We have set a challenging timetable for action, with a planning application expected within 20 months. The local community will now get their chance to comment fully and constructively at key stages in the development, especially with the design brief.”
Councillor Brian Murphy, who chairs the Fort William Steering Group, said: “This is excellent news for Fort William and Lochaber. It’s almost nine years since the Fort William Steering Group was formed and identified the waterfront development as the top priority for the future development of the town. It will deliver 500 jobs in the construction phase and around 480 afterwards, 348 housing units, a supermarket, other retail units, a hotel, civic space, a new library and much more. It will enhance the town and protect and improve the setting of the Old Fort. To see that there are developers who are confident enough in these troubled economic times to go ahead with this ambitious project is very pleasing, and shows that Fort William has the potential to be truly worthy of the title of Outdoor Capital of the UK.”
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