Mixed Use

Following our successful public exhibitions in early 2010, we submitted an application for planning permission in principle (outline consent) for the Blar Mhor/Corpach Moss site at Caol, Fort William in Summer 2010.  The Highland Council's Area Planning Committee voted unanimously to approve our application on 14 December 2010 and consent was granted in early 2011.  The consent includes a 60,000sqft foodstore and a 80,000sqft non food retail park.

At the time, Colin Graham, Development Manager, Miller Developments, said: "The Highland Council's endorsement of our proposals is a big step forward for Blar Mhor, which will deliver a number of community benefits for Lochaber residents.  Now that we have certainty over the principle of our masterplan, we can now progress detailed proposals for individual components in the second half of 2011."

Since then, we have signed a contract with Tesco for the foodstore element and reserved matters applications for both the Tesco store and the associated infrastructure (upgrade of Lochybridge roundabout, new 5-arm roundabout on the A830, first phase of the Caol Link Road, the Blar Mhor spine road and drainage infrastructure) will be submitted during October 2011.

In addition, the Council is to benefit from the approved scheme through the transfer of 10 acres of 'free' land at Blar Mhor for the purposes of building both an all-weather sports pitch and a new Gaelic primary school.  Both these projects will be assisted through £400,000 of planning gain that will be transferred to the Council before the first building on Blar Mhor opens to the public.

Get In Touch

If you didn't make it along to our exhibitions, don't panic - the plans presented there (which are now the approved plans) are available by simply clicking here.  You can see answers to the questions most frequently asked at the exhibitions below.  If you have another question with regard to our proposals that is not covered in the Q&As, then please send us an email at blarmhor@miller.co.uk or, alternatively, you can write to us at:-

Am Blàr Mòr Team
Miller Developments
Miller House
2 Lochside View
Edinburgh Park
EH12 9DH

Tel 0870 336 5283

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is development being proposed at Blar Mhor?

The adopted Lochaber Local Plan (1999) allocates the majority of the Blar Mhor site for business, industrial and 'campus' uses (economic, public and community facilities).  Since the plan was adopted, Fort William Heath Centre has been built and planning consent granted for a new care home on the adjacent site.
The new West Highlands and Islands Local Plan (WHILP), which was adopted in late 2010, allocates 58.2 acres of land at Blar Mhor as suitable for mixed use development (Allocation MU4)¹.  As part of the adoption process, the Council's proposals were reviewed by an Independent Reporter appointed by the Scottish Government.  The Independent Reporter approved the allocation at Blar Mhor for the uses listed below.
Our proposals, which cover most but not all of the MU4 Allocation, will transform the Council's vision for the area into a reality.

Isn't this protected peat bog?

The area is a blanket bog habitat, which the UK has a responsibility to protect.  This responsibility has led to 50 sites across the UK being designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
SNH has selected the SAC sites across the UK to ensure full coverage of geographic range and ecological variation. The largest sites with the most extensive areas of active blanket bogs have been favoured for protection, such as the Lewis, and Caithness & Sutherland Peatlands.  These cover a total area of over 350,000 ha, much of which is within the Highlands and Islands area.
 
Blar Mhor represents a relatively small area and, as such, has not been selected for SAC designation, or even as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) under UK legislation.  This conclusion was reached following a survey conducted by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).  This indicates that the ecological significance of  Blar Mhor blanket bog is relatively low and this is reinforced by SNH's decision not to object to the site's allocation in the West Highlands & Islands Local Plan.   In its evidence to the WHILP, The Highland Council concluded that "Although there will be a loss of European protected blanket bog habitat...this particular habitat is not rare in a Highland context and these sites are central to an urban area and therefore subject to encroachment and pressure associated with such a location." SNH did not object to our planning application.

Will any of the peat bog remain at Blar Mhor?

Our proposals will show that we intend to retain a large area of natural bog at Blar Mhor.

Will the development be at risk of flooding?

Our initial investigations have shown that the Blar Mhor site is outwith both the 1-in-200 year river and the 1-in-200 year coastal flood risk boundaries.  Whilst we are not anticipating flooding to be an issue at Blar Mhor, in order to ensure safety for all, we have commissioned a Flood Risk Assessment which will have to be approved before any development can commence.

Will removing peat not increase the risk of the site flooding in the future?

The existing peat bog currently acts like a giant sponge, soaking up rainfall and allowing it to drain away naturally.  Where we remove peat for new development, we will be required to construct a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) using a combination of swales and ponds on the site.  This will allow excess rainfall to collect and drain away naturally, in the same way that it currently does.  This system will be designed to the highest standards and to the satisfaction of both SEPA and The Highland Council.

Will this cause flooding problems elsewhere?

No.  SEPA will require our SUDS provision to result in 'no net detriment' with respect to surface water run-off from our site, i.e. the amount of water running off the site should - at the very least - be no worse than exists at present.

What are you going to do with the peat you remove?

According to our trial pits, the depth of peat at Blar Mhor and Corpach Moss varies from about 1.5m to a maximum of 3m deep across the site.  To create a stable development platform, we will have to excavate the peat down to the sand & gravel underneath.
A Waste Strategy was been prepared for submission with our planning application.  Our intention is to retain as much of the peat on site as possible.  Whether the peat can be used will depend on its quality - this is currently being tested - and SEPA require a Peat Management Plan to be submitted and approved before any development can commence.

What uses are proposed?

The uses listed as acceptable in the Local Plan are: housing, business, community, leisure and retail.  Our approved planning application includes a supermarket, retail park, food & drink outlets, a hospital, a new Gaelic primary school, a new All-Weather Sports Pitch, a new Police Station, and a large extension to the Blar Mhor Industrial Estate.

What retailers are going to come to Blar Mhor?

Having had interest from all three of the major supermarket operators not currently represented in Fort William, we have now signed a deal with Tesco for the foodstore element of the Blar Mhor masterplan.  Our agents are currently speaking to a number of non-food retailers to see whether the first phase of the non-food retail park can be brought forward at an early date. 

What will be the impact on Fort William Town Centre?

Fort William town centre is unique in that it has a very small number of national 'high street' retailers.  Our initial analysis has shown that the town centre contains no bulky goods retailers and only one mainstream clothing retailer.  The rest of the offer is directed towards capturing tourist expenditure - outdoor clothing, adventure sports, cafes, etc.  Blar Mhor will not impact on these.  The conclusion that we have drawn from this is that the vast majority of the town's non-food expenditure must be flowing out of Fort William to destinations further afield - Oban, Inverness, Glasgow  - or being spent via catalogues or the internet.
We hope that, by providing more retail floorspace within the town, the amount of trips to other towns & cities will be reduced and result in a spin-off benefit for other retailers & businesses.  A full Retail Impact Assessment was prepared in support of our planning application.

Is the Belford Hospital really going to relocate?

This is a matter for NHS Highland.  The Council's Local Plan requires us to reserve a site for a relocated hospital and that is what we are doing.  The relocation of the hospital depends on two things:
1) NHS Highland must firstly decide that, out of all the options open to it, relocation to Blar Mhor is its preferred choice; and
2) having decided that Blar Mhor is the preferred choice, it must secure funding to construct the new hospital.

What will be done with the old Belford Hospital site?

Again, this is a matter for NHS Highland.  The current hospital site has been allocated as a Mixed Use opportunity site in the new West Highlands & Islands Local Plan so a number of options will be open to those with ideas for its redevelopment.

Is the Police Station going to relocate?

The Police have expressed a desire to construct an all new station at Blar Mhor.  They are currently seeking approval and funding for such a move.  In the meantime, our approved masterplan has safeguarded the most suitable site for them.

Why are you proposing a new Primary School?

The WHILP requires us to reserve a site for a new Primary School and this is what we have done.  This land will be transferred to the Council at nil cost.  We understand that it is The Highland Council's preference to see this developed as a new Gaelic School. 

How will the site be accessed?

We are proposing to construct a new roundabout on the A830 (to incorporate the existing access to Blar Mhor Industrial Estate).  The new roundabout would provide a safe and efficient access to development at both Corpach Moss and Blar Mhor.  The new junction has been designed to ensure it can accommodate the proposed Caol Link Road.

Will we be able to drive through Blar Mhor to Camaghael?

No.  The site under Miller Developments' control does not extend to Camaghael Road.  Provision will be made in the masterplan for future pedestrian/cycle routes to Camaghael but there will be no vehicular access.

Are you going to build the proposed Caol Link Road?

No.  The proposed link road is an aspiration being promoted by the Council and does not yet have planning approval or funding in place.  However, the proposed Blar Mhor masterplan will protect the Council's preferred road alignment (and the land required for any ancillary structures, such as a bridge over the railway line) through the Corpach Moss site so that it can be delivered once these things are in place.

Will the development cause traffic problems?

A full Transport Assessment was prepared for submission alongside our planning application.  This was reviewed by both The Highland Council and Transport Scotland and, as a result, our planning consent obliges us to upgrade a number of key junctions to improve traffic flow.  To help reduce car dependency, the proposed masterplan includes new links to the site for pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers to ensure that a full range of access choices is available to users of the site.

What kind of housing is going onto the site?

The WHILP makes provision for up to 300 new houses on the Blar Mhor site, but with consent now granted for 301 houses at nearby Lochyside and a slowing in the housing market, we decided that housing would not be included in our proposals.

What will be the timing of the development?

Having secured planning permission in principle, we now have to bring forward detailed proposals for each of the individual buildings.  There are a number of additional consents (detailed planning permission, drainage connection consent, roads construction consent, etc) that need to be obtained before work can start on site.  We have already started work on these and anticipate that construction of the first phase of development will start in the first half of 2012.

Notes
¹ MU4 is the name given in the WHILP to the area of land at Blar Mhor/Corpach Moss allocated for a mixed use development.