Redeveloping Moray buildings and land that have become eyesores has taken a step forward.
Members of Moray Council planning and regulatory services committee agreed this week to carry out further investigations into the potential for bringing six brownfield sites back into use.
They include four in Buckie, a former lemonade factory on Blairdaff Street, the old gasworks on Barron Street, McLaren’s Brae on March Road and 1 to 3 Bank Street.
The other two are the auction mart on Tytler Street and the Castle Inn on Caroline Street in Forres.
Funding could be available through the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme the Just Transition Fund and the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.
Labour councillor for Elgin North Sandy Keith asked how confident officers were in securing money from funds the council had not applied to before.
He also asked if focusing on brownfield sites would impact on greenfield developments.
Mr Keith said: “I think most of the members here would like to see brownfields redeveloped.
“We can say we want these developed, but are we going to hold up greenfield sites until a certain percentage of the brownfield sites are redeveloped?
“I don’t just want us to have a good policy on paper, but I want to see work in practice.”
Strategic planning and development manager Gary Templeton told the meeting officers were trying to highlight the scale of the problem in Moray.
He said: “I think brownfield sites are something we’re really keen to progress, but we never had the funding or the mechanisms or powers that enabled us to do that.
Confidence in redevelopment
“Am I confident, that’s down to the business case that we prepare and I’d like to think we are confident.
“Trying to prioritise the brownfield sites and setting a target is something we want to do.
Brownfield sites are usually urban and have been developed before. Greenfield sites are more often rural and undeveloped.
He added the council would “inevitably” continue to identify greenfield sites as there was not enough brownfield capacity to meet demand.
The priority projects came from a list of more than 120 sites across Moray in need of redevelopment.
They were rated on their level of disrepair, the impact of the vacant site on the, sustainable uses, benefits of bringing land and buildings back into use and the likelihood of them being rejuvenated without further intervention.
Seven other sites fitted the criteria as priority projects including Grant Lodge in Elgin’s Cooper Park and the former Jailhouse nightclub and Junners toyshop building in the town centre.
Six sites shortlisted for redevelopment
However most of those properties are included in other redevelopment proposals such as the Moray Growth Deal and the Levelling Up Fund application, but can be added to the shortlist if funding bids are unsuccessful.
Councillors also agreed to delegate authority to head of economic growth and development Jim Grant, to decide which other sites can be added to the priority list if any of the six cannot be taken forward.
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