Major new vision for Dingwall aims to breathe fresh life into the town and kick-start action from the agencies that can make it a reality
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A MAJOR new vision for Dingwall aims to breathe fresh life into the county town and kick-start the agencies that can make it happen into action.
The Dingwall Regeneration – Vision2030 has been drawn up by the Dingwall Community Development Company (DCDC) in response to what it sees as the need for action.
The degree to which statutory bodies like Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have overlooked the Dingwall area was symbolised for many by the lack of care of Dingwall Business Park, where firms keen to set up shop are bogged down in red tape over a flood bund needing an upgrade. The council recently issued a call in preparation for the National Planning Framework 4 for local place plans from community-led groups, allowing locals to set out their vision and priorities for the future.
Cllr Graham Mackenzie recently issued a call for a formal strategy for the Dingwall and Seaforth area – and now DCDC has produced what could be a blueprint.
The original Vision2030 is hugely ambitious and hinged on the redevelopment of five “key transformational elements” – the Hector MacDonald monument; a multi-purpose cinema/hub; the town centre; Pefferside Park and the railway station.
It was focussed along two axes intersecting the town centre – south-north from the Macdonald Monument to Pefferside Park and the east-west from Ferry Point to the industrial estate.
The latest iteration of the plans working south to north still aims to reopen the landmark monument and replace the lorry park with a multi-purpose centre to function as, for example, a showcase for Ross-shire food and drink and business incubator.
But now it will also look at developing the attractive walking routes to the High Street through the historic closes and make more of the Cromartie Car Park, St Clement’s Church and St Clement’s Aisle, which is the heart of Viking-era Dingwall.
Hopes to redevelop Pefferside Park with entertainment, a botanic garden, urban farm and allotments remain – but a perhaps overly ambitious element of placing a roof over the entire High Street for all weather shopping is no longer mentioned.
The east to west section still envisions Dingwall Railway Station operating as an interchange and gateway to the rest of the Highlands.
At the heart of the plans is the “comprehensive” redevelopment of the Town Hall and museum, again for community use, as well as boosting the industrial estate/business park and the High Street.
Secretary of DCDC, Robin Lingard, said the vision was originally developed back in 2019 but the pandemic intervened. He says that though some parts will be updated, the fundamental structure remains a sound basis for moving forward.
“Looking back at the document in that light, we concluded that although we might not want to endorse all the detail in it, the basic structure remains valid as a starting point for discussions with the council and other partners,” he said.
“Particularly the idea of building the strategy on two spatial axes, from the Macdonald Monument to Pefferside Park and from Ferry Point to the Industrial Estate.
“We also remain of the view, as we have from the earliest days of DCDC, that the biggest step towards regenerating the life of the town would be a fundamental redevelopment of the Town Hall and Dingwall Museum, with the main entrance once more opening onto the High Street and with activity in the building throughout the day.
“It is therefore good to see that essential repairs to the structure are now being carried out, though any full development scheme would of course be a far more ambitious and expensive exercise.
“A new factor which we would wish to bring into the discussions is the prospect that 2026 will mark 800 years since Dingwall’s creation as a Royal Burgh and that this might provide a suitable focus both for celebration and for redevelopment plans.”
What single change would improve Dingwall in your view? Email us at newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk
