Highland Council leader expresses concern not enough people know about imminent major Thurso developments as Councillor Raymond Bremner urges locals to engage with info about £100 million plans
Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner has expressed concern that not enough people know about imminent and major developments to Thurso.
As a councillor in the county, Raymond Bremner has urged locals to engage with the available information about the £100 million plans for the town.
He was addressing the approved Thurso masterplan from the council for what is called a point of delivery or POD that will include a new high school.
The Groat has consistently reported developments since the plans first emerged for what we said could launch the biggest changes in more than a generation.
The ambitious plans involve some of the most important bodies in the Highlands from the NHS to police and fire service as well as the coastguard and Dounreay.
Thurso High has been identified as the main site of investment for a new complex comprising schools, leisure and community facilities.
Councillors approved the site as the “community” POD through the £2.1 billion Highland Investment Plan (HIP) but that element is just the tip of the iceberg.
There are plans for an “office” POD options include – a business hub; community café; meeting and event space; and UHI-NWH town centre preference.
The sites involved here would be the former M&Co site; Tollemache House; North Coast Visitor Centre; and UHI Environmental Research Institute.
The partners include the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; NRS Dounreay; Supply Chain; Focus North & Caithness Chamber of Commerce; and self-employed and remotely employed community members.
There are also options for the council itself; HIE; High Life; NHS Highland, the Scottish Government; Police Scotland, the fire service; and Scottish Ambulance Service as well as UHI and SEPA.
And the “depot” POD offers storage, maintenance and washdown facilities; fleet overnight parking; EV charging points; office, welfare and meeting spaces for depot staff as well as petrol, diesel and alternative fuel storage.
The potential partners involved here are the council, police, ambulances, fire service, SEPA; SSEN; EMBR; taxi, bus and freight operators; the NHS and HM Coastguard.
While proposals to replace Thurso High have understandably grabbed the headlines, the extent of public knowledge or even “scepticism” about the plans concerns the top councillor.
In a social media post, he said: “Given some online scepticism that I’m aware of, and the fact that despite a lot of reporting, updates and news articles; there doesn’t seem to be a lot of awareness that some of the new pupils to Thurso High School this year, may not see their High School education finish in the present building - that's how soon the delivery of this project is likely to be.
“I have asked officers to look at other ways to be able to get the information out to the communities in Thurso and local surrounding areas and to display it in some of the local buildings, including the current High School, North Coast Visitor Centre, Thurso Service Point and other buildings including those of our stakeholder partners, such as NRS Dounreay.
“I mentioned in the council chamber that it may be a good idea for local members to host a briefing session for their local community, somewhere in Thurso, as well.
“Remember, construction is planned to start in just over two years, with the building handover, occupation and being operational, being completed by summer 2030.
“There is a lot of discussion happening about this at council, including all considerations about protecting against displacement, working through and assessing possible impacts, including the legacy of the buildings that would be vacated, inclusion of ASN in the school build design as well as many other aspects.
“Whilst I’m a member for Wick and East Caithness, this information is being reported to all council Members, Highland-wide. This really is a good news story for Caithness.”