Green light for Nairn investments

Councillors have agreed to move two ambitious proposals to develop Nairn to the next stage at a meeting of the local area committee on Wednesday.

The larger of the two plans is a scheme to redesign Nairn Links that takes its inspiration from similar developments in Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Germany, China, Australia and Latvia among others.

Now it has got the go-ahead, work could begin before the end of the year, but it is more likely that it would begin at the start of 2020.

According to the council’s head of planning and environment, Malcolm Macleod: “This year would effectively be the design and procurement stage.

“There was discussion at our first project meeting whether it could be a start toward the end of the year in the off-season – that would be challenging but not impossible, but it is more likely that it will fall into earlier next year.”

The first projects include replacing the ageing paddling pool with a fun splash-pad, a water play park that will feature pop-up fountains in summer and serve as an ice-skating rink in winter.

Nairnshire committee chairman Tom Heggie said: “I think the framework here gives us comfort that some of the smaller steps that we are taking are in line with the overall framework, like the speed bumps, like the coastal rowing, and they are engaged under community empowerment.”

The second project will see dozens of shop fronts, including those without businesses in them, revamped to make the town more attractive, increase footfall and attract new businesses to the town.

The partnership between the council and the Nairn business improvement district has more than £67,000 of £250,000 in developer contributions to spend. The shop front improvement scheme has had 39 applications approved and traders have until the end of July to apply for the funding.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.