Consultation on new Council Offices for Fort William
People are being invited to come along to a public exhibition in Fort William to give their views on the Council’s proposal for the regeneration of the former Fort William Secondary School site into the Council’s new main offices to serve the town.
The Secondary School site on Achintore Road, which has lain empty for over twenty five years, is owned by the Council and is a listed building. The plan is that the new development will replace offices currently occupied by the Council in Fort William at Lochaber House, Fulton House and Tweeddale, bringing an estimated year-on-year revenue savings of around £400,000. Work on the site is expected to start later this year with the new council offices for the town completed by Spring 2017.
The drop-in public exhibition, which is part of a wider public consultation with the community and local stakeholders, on Thursday 19 March, will take place from 10.30am to 7.30pm in the West End Hotel and will include maps and details about planned site access, accessibility, travel and parking as well as proposed drawings for the building which will incorporate a Service Point, meeting rooms and office space for 104 members of staff. Anyone unable to attend will be able to view the plans for the development from 9.30am to 4.30pm Mondays to Fridays from 20th March at the Highland Council Service Point at Lochaber House.
Lochaber Area Leader Councillor MacLennan said: “The proposal to redevelop the site means we’ll be able to make savings by delivering our Services more cost-effectively and efficiently and at the same time new life is brought to a building near to the centre of the town which has lain in a derelict state for over 25 years. Providing a modern, flexible, accessible working environment will benefit staff and customers. The public exhibition is a chance for people to come along and look over the proposals for the development and give us their views and any feedback to the plans. I hope as many people as possible take up this opportunity.”
The deadline for responses to the consultation is 9 April so anyone wishing to comment on the proposals should do so by contacting the Ward Manager Dot Ferguson, Lochaber House, High Street, Fort William, PH33 6EL or e-mail dot.ferguson@highland.gov.uk before this date.