Dingwall masterplan could trigger changes to buildings in Ross-shire county town
THE public has been given its first glimpse of Highland Council’s masterplan for Dingwall in what could eventually amount to the biggest development and investment in the town for decades.
An event last week showcased some of the tentative proposals for public feedback before more concrete planning for investment in the coming years.
The proposal could result in more activity and jobs in the town as the council looks at creating three Points of Delivery – dubbed PODs – to concentrate more services under one roof.
The move is central to the £2.1 billion 20-year Highland Investment Plan with Dingwall selected as “one of the priority locations to develop a local place-based masterplan”.
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The plan for three PODs – for the community, offices and a depot – is fuelled by skyrocketing costs placing severe pressure on the council and other services, like the police, ambulance service and NHS.
The local authority, under chief executive Derek Brown, has developed what it calls a “a radical solution to significant challenges” that is closely linked to modernisation plans.
It aims to rationalise service delivery by sharing facilities with other agencies or bodies, so police or ambulance vehicles could be based at a local authority depot or a GP surgery could be located near a care home.
The most significant development is perhaps the Community POD offering a new Dingwall Primary building with St Clement’s Special School possibly located on the same site – though a site on Dochcarty Brae is also available for the latter.
The site earmarked for this development is the fields between Dingwall Primary and extension to Docharty Road near Tulloch Castle – a new link road that connects the top of the town with the west end.
Community facilities as well as council and partner services could be co-located there too. The council is working on a plan for community, sports and leisure facilities in the Dingwall Academy catchment area with High Life Highland.
It could mean that two of the council’s largest problems – the decades-long wait for a replacement special school for St Clement’s and a new building to replace the ageing Dingwall Primary – would be solved.
The council said “a commitment has been made to rebuild St Clement’s and retain its unique identity” and between the two options an appraisal will “determine the best method of achieving that”.
An Office POD would see the County Buildings retained as a key council facility though other “co-location opportunities are being explored” with other partners, with some NHS Highland staff already based there.
The Depot POD would likely entail a replacement developed to an eyesore building on Craig Road – this again would look for partners with Dingwall hosting both the police roads officers and one of Scotland’s busiest ambulance stations.
