Thurso masterplan and community POD progress update

27th June 2025

A new generation of community facilities is being planned for the Highlands.

At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June), elected members approved the work to date in progressing the Highland Investment Plan workstreams - masterplan for Thurso and agreed to nominate the current Thurso High School site as the preferred location for the new Thurso Community Point of Delivery (POD). The plans represent £100 million investment in the town.

Thurso has been selected as one of the priority locations for a Community POD and a public drop-in event will be held after the summer holiday period to allow the Thurso community to consider POD proposals and provide feedback.

Council Leader, Councillor Raymond Bremner said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity to not only redevelop Thurso High School but also regenerate Thurso with a wider Community Point of Delivery. We are talking about £100m investment in the town by the Council, which will in turn encourage other partners to contribute. I am delighted that plans are progressing and urge people to find out more when engagement takes place soon after the summer break. At a time of economic challenge this is really positive news not just for Thurso but for the whole of Caithness."

Cllr Bremner added: "Points of Delivery are a new way of co-locating and delivering services so that they are easier for people to access, so that partner agencies can work better together, and so that organisations can share facilities where they have similar needs. This is a key driver for our future operating model, and part of our wider strategy to devolve and decentralise Council operations over time. This is essential to help sustain communities and populations throughout the Highlands."

Other projects in phase one include improvement to Council depots in Caithness and the re-surfacing of the all-weather pitch in Wick.

A further update on the development of the masterplan will be provided at the Council meeting in October 2025.

The full report can be accessed https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/5196/highland_council (Item 6).

 

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