Councillors welcome progress on Nairn Town Centre properties.

Members of The Highland Council’s Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee have welcomed progress being made on developments to town centre properties in Nairn owned by the Council.

Nairn Town Centre properties including the former Community Centre and public toilets, former Social Work offices on King Street and an area of the town centre car park are currently being considered under Community Right to Buy by the Nairn Improvement Community Enterprise (NICE).

NICE has prepared a feasibility study which will be submitted to the Council’s Asset
Management Project Board and then to the Finance, Housing and Resources Committee for members to decide if part of the site will be transferred to the Community Enterprise at below market value.

Members were also notified that a national charity has expressed an interest in the property, should the NICE proposal not be accepted by the Council and that there is also the potential for a joint project from both parties with the charity leasing part of the building from NICE.

A contract has been let for 16 Council homes to be developed on the redundant Nairn bus garage. The demolition contractor is currently on site and the anticipated completion date for the new units is August 2014.

Members were informed of the sale of a shop premises owned by the Council at 66 High Street Nairn with one offer of purchase having been received. As part of the council’s Office Rationalisation Project – staff on the first floor of 66 High Street above the shop will be moving to the Courthouse in the coming months. The office is being considered for conversion to a one-bedroom residential dwelling.

Leader of the Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee Councillor Liz MacDonald paid tribute to former Highland Council Convener and Provost of Nairn Sandy Park for the tireless amount of work that he put into promoting Nairn and helping to develop Nairn town centre, she said: “We must thank Sandy Park for all his efforts in getting use to where we are today with the redevelopment of our town centre properties.

“It is good to see progress being made on these redundant properties in Nairn Town Centre and getting vacancies filled as quickly as possible. Having occupied and active residential and commercial properties at the centre of our community is vital to the vibrancy of Nairn.”