Christmas Comes Early For Wick With Town Centre Funding Boost

19th December 2019

Photograph of Christmas Comes Early For Wick With Town Centre Funding Boost

A FUNDING package worth in excess of £650,000 is in place to help in the regeneration of Wick town centre.

Wick and East Caithness councillors Raymond Bremner and Nicola Sinclair revealed the details at meeting of key stakeholders on Monday night.

The funds are committed for a range of projects designed to breathe life back into the area, including:

£200,000 to turn the riverside car park into a travel hub, including additional spaces, electric vehicle charging points, a new cycle shelter, a new bus shelter, new signage, CCTV security and landscaping.

£225,000 for the purchase, demolition and site clearance of derelict buildings.

£200,000 in-kind value of Sustrans Scotland's street design programme, which will create new designs for the High Street and Bridge Street areas.

An £18,000 options appraisal into suitable use for the former Woolworths building.

A £20,000 refurbishment of public toilets.

Councillors could not reveal the specific derelict buildings targeted in the regeneration plan for legal and commercial reasons, but told the audience in the Norseman Hotel they expect to have an update in the early new year.

When demolition and clearance is complete the sites will be transferred to the community for £1 each. A new development trust has been created which will work with the community to decide on a future use for the sites.

 

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