Workers camp plan for Thurso to be discussed by town’s newly formed community council
Plans to create a worker’s transit camp on the north-west outskirts of Thurso are set to go under the microscope of the town’s newly re-formed community council.
The venture is being proposed by the Murphy engineering conglomerate which has just established a new base in Thurso Business Park.
Thurso Community Council chairman Willie McGillivray said it is keen to know more about the proposal, which will feature on the agenda of its first meeting on October 28.
He said: “We’ve invited a representative from Murphy to come along and speak to us about the plans for the 500-bed transit camp at Wolfburn.”
The site overlooks the company’s new office in William Smith House where it expects to employ 50.
Its expansion results from the company’s involvement in creating the infrastructure for SSEN Transmission’s proposed Spittal to Beauly overhead line project, and the substation and converter station at Banniskirk.
It is part of SSEN’s £20 billion investment in upgrading the mains network in the north of Scotland.
Mr McGillivray said: “It’s going to have a significant impact on the town and I believe the company is going to have public consultations about it.
“It is because of this and other developments, like the new POD (Point of Delivery) planned for Thurso High, that myself and others were keen to get the community council up and running again.”
The community council went into abeyance in February after 11 of its 13 members resigned after failing to resolve long-running grievances they had with one of the other members, Alexander Glasgow.
It was resurrected after a call for nominations attracted 10 candidates, though one subsequently withdrew.
At the formative meeting of the 10 members (including Mr Glasgow), Mr McGillivray was elected chairman; Mike Hannah, secretary; and Eilidh Paterson, treasurer.
Mr McGillivray, the commercial manager of Navertech, said: “It’s a fresh start and all the members will sign the community council’s code of conduct.
“It’s been a smooth handover from the previous office-bearers and we will now be looking at appointing association members and co-opting on to the council.”
The monthly evening meetings are to be held, as before, on the last Tuesday of every month in the Pentland Hotel.