CASE Helps With Face-Lift for Forss
15th January 2003
Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) is committing over £600,000 towards environmental renewal works aimed at improving the external surroundings of the Forss Business and Technology Park, which is under development near Thurso.
New Park Highland Ltd - developers of the Business and Technology Park - bought the site in November last year. They aim to turn the former Forss US Naval Base into a hi-tech business park, which is set to attract tenants associated with the decommissioning of the Dounreay nuclear plant.
The company is developing the park in stages with phase one due to get underway in the coming weeks. This first phase involves the construction of a 30,000 sq. ft building to house anchor tenants, UKAEA's Major Projects and Engineering Division.
CASE is assisting with phase two of the project and has awarded New Park Highland a grant worth £633,000 towards the £1.2 million cost of upgrading the park's environment. Further phases will involve the complete refurbishment of buildings on the site for let to other businesses.
However, for the park to be an attractive location for businesses to locate to, the external surroundings do require extensive improvements. Assistance from CASE will help pay for the removal of asbestos and petrol tanks and the demolition of a number of unsightly, dilapidated buildings on the site. The environmental renewal project will also see preparation works for infrastructure, such as roads, car parking and soft landscaping as well as drainage works, footpaths, covered walkways and specialist street lighting.
Bruce Pritchard of New Park Highland said, "We are delighted that CASE is partnering us in this development in such a proactive manner. It is vital, in the development of a new technology park that the correct environment and infrastructure is created, both in order to attract tenants to the park and to encourage interaction between tenant companies.
"This grant funding will allow us to create the appropriate infrastructure to ensure that the Forss Business and Technology Park is a sustainable economic driver in Caithness."
The decommissioning of Dounreay is expected to take 50 years and in that time, the far north can expect an influx of inward investors and new business starts looking for accommodation.
Carroll Buxton, chief executive at CASE said: "The conversion of a decaying and derelict site into a hi-tech business and technology park is of major strategic importance.
"As we know, the decommissioning of Dounreay presents us with many potential opportunities and it is necessary to have the infrastructure in place to cope with potential inward investors, the growth of existing businesses and new business starts.
"We are encouraged that New Park Highland, a company from the private sector, has taken the lead on this project and are delighted to play our own part in ensuring its success."
Related Businesses
Related Articles
A sand mining company in Lochaber is set to double its production and increase annual turnover by more than £2.6m. Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited (LQS) has secured up to £230,000 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) towards the £855,000 costs of upgrading equipment on site.
The newly appointed head of business growth for Highlands and Island Enterprise (HIE) in Argyll and the Islands is to focus on expanding the agency's portfolio of business clients. Liam Orr, originally from Benderloch near Oban, took up the post in early December and leads HIE’s business growth team across an area covering Argyll and Bute, Arran and the Cumbraes.
An Aviemore-based adventure tourism operator has made significant progress in sustainability over the past two years by investing in e-bikes, e-vehicles and a carbon labelling system. Wilderness Scotland has reduced its scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions by 16 percent through its commitment to business decarbonisation.
The funicular railway at Cairngorm Mountain looks set to be back in action towards the end of December or early in the new year. Contractor Balfour Beatty has confirmed that, weather permitting, its current programme of remediation works on the viaduct that supports the railway is due to finish in the next week to 10 days, after which teams working for the company plan to demobilise from the mountainside.
Fetcha Chocolates is investing in new equipment to quadruple its capacity, increase turnover and create employment. An Argyll based chocolate manufacturer is investing in new equipment to quadruple its capacity, increase turnover and create employment.
Is your young business ready for the next step?. The Young Business Capital Grant helps young businesses and social enterprises (under 5 years old) invest in projects that stimulate growth.
Shell-volution is an ambitious industry-wide initiative supported by the public sector and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) which has been awarded £4.4 million of investment from the UK Government as part of the Islands Growth Deal. This innovative, ground-breaking project is set to transform shellfish aquaculture, bringing sustainable growth and additional quality jobs in mussel farming, based on detailed investigations (mapping and monitoring) and creating a model for improving security and reliability of wild spat recruitment, through industry best practice.
A Nairn-based foundry, which has achieved international recognition for its larger-than-life bronze castings has invested in a £200,000 expansion to help it reach greater heights. An award of £60,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has helped Black Isle Bronze to improve infrastructure and purchase equipment to extend the range of projects the firm can undertake.
Young businesses and social enterprises in the Highlands and Islands looking to increase productivity, innovation and employment can apply for funding from HIE. The fourth round of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Young Business Capital Grant (YBCG) is now open to businesses that have been trading for less than five years with up to 250 full-time equivalent employees.
Ambitious young businesspeople in the Highlands and Islands have just one more chance to benefit from a tailored support programme. IMPACT30 was launched by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in 2018 to help nurture and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.