Developers Sought for Fort William Waterfront

The Highland Council is seeking proposals for use of its property interests as part of a  major development opportunity in Fort William, the Outdoor Capital of the UK and home to the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Proposals are sought consistent with a Development Brief prepared by the Fort William Steering Group, which sets out the community’s vision for the Waterfront.

This would see the development of a 7 hectares site including 6 hectares Council owned foreshore at Loch Linnhe - between the pier and the A 82 trunk road at the Old Fort, 1,800 sqm of offices currently leased to the Council in the centre of the town at Tweeddale House and Lochaber House, the Middle Street  Car Park and part of the existing A82 trunk road.

Research and market interests indicate potential for a supermarket, a modern hotel, with conference facilities, a marina, shop units, offices and 300 houses at the Waterfront.

Since publishing the brief and posting it on the home page of the Council’s web site www.www.highland.gov.uk, the Council has been delighted by the response from the market and is hopeful of receiving firm offers when bids close in mid or late October. Developers are asked to provide a master plan for the development site.

John Clarke, the Council’s Head of Property, said: “There has been strong interest expressed since we published our development proposals and this is very encouraging indeed. We hope this initial interest will be translated into offers for acquisition of the Council assets.

He said the Council supported the Fort William Steering Group in seeking to help facilitate a development which would be of a quality and scale to effect a transformational impact upon Fort William, the second biggest community in Highland with 10,000 residents.

He added: “The Development Brief identifies that integration of the proposed new development at the waterfront with the town centre is fundamental.  The site boundary is drawn around Lochaber House and Tweeddale Buildings and careful consideration will need to be given by developers as to how they link these buildings with the waterfront development.”

He stressed that Council property interests could be released only if development proposals are brought forward which meet the aspirations of the local Fort William community as identified in the Development Brief.