Affordable housing scheme in the Scottish Highlands

Upper Achintore, Scotland

New housing is urgently needed to meet demand in Fort William, Scotland, particularly for affordable housing. Link Group and JR Construction brought us in to deliver planning permission for their development in Upper Achintore, and we were responsible for overseeing the planning and environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, as well as co-ordinating the inputs of all other disciplines.

We provided advice to the client, undertook pre-application public consultation, and liaised with stakeholders and statutory consultees to ensure the right development for the location. The site is adjacent to existing housing and has the potential to deliver a sustainable extension of Fort William on allocated, elevated land.

Careful analysis of the constraints on site allowed us to demonstrate that we could develop an area of 11 hectares from an overall site of 23 hectares. The masterplan was developed to accommodate up to 325 homes incorporating primary and secondary access, green corridors, public open space, links to surrounding development, and access gateways. The project team included Stallan Brand Architects, Civic Engineers, and LUC. The housing is set to be predominantly affordable with 10% private market housing.