An unusual design that echoes the shape of waves and includes aluminium cladding has been put forward for a new housing development on Fort William High Street.
Highland Council has applied for planning permission to turn a former crafts shop in the Lochaber town into 12 new homes to help tackle the shortage of affordable housing in the area.
The local authority bought the former Scottish Crafts and Whisky Centre at the west end of the town’s High Street, which has been empty for some time.
It is now seeking permission to demolish the property – previously used as Macbraynes bus station – to make way for 12 self-contained flats for affordable rented accommodation, together with associated car parking.
A design statement submitted with the planning application states that the project brief was “to provide a distinctive high quality design reflecting the important town centre location”.
It describes the proposed development as “creating a strong new modern design that responds to the rectilinear form of development along the High Street while not turning its back on the waterfront.”
It says: “The three blocks of accommodation are linked with a central staircase and lift giving access to all three flats at each level.
“This vertical circulation zone is central within the site, which will result in people passing through the site to the side of the building on the High Street and under the building on the bypass side.”
And it describes the separate mono pitch on each block as being “reminiscent of waves coming ashore and then receding back out to sea.”
It proposes textured boundary walls and base course walls with the rest of the walls being covered by a combination of aluminium and wood effect rain screening systems.
Aluminium is also to be used for the roofing system and integrated fascias, verges, soffits and downpipes.
Councillor Brian Murphy, Fort William and Ardnamurchan, said it was good to see empty properties in the High Street being brought back into use by converting them into much-needed housing accommodation.
There are currently around 640 people on the housing waiting list in Lochaber.