HIGHLANDS AND IS!. HFVF' nDAm IT c.o A M*i* v t.LV,;;'; .n ,::.,:: •• j :..•'-'..= '•,.' n ll 1 a plan for growth in a sub-region of the Scottish Highlands r to the Highlands and Islands Development Board the Jack Holmes Planning Group march 1968 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 50Km. 50MI. I I I MORAY FIRTH STUDY AREA - LOCATION I I I THE PLANNING TEAM I THE JACK HOLMES PLANNING GROUP: Planning M.K. Borland, Dip.Arch,ARIBA,ARIAS,SPDip,AMTPI, I Urban Geography D.R. Diamond, MA, MSc, Economics E.B. Gibb, MA. Landscape W. Gillespie, Dip, LA(Reading), FILA. Architecture Jack Holmes, MC, ARIBA, FRIAS. I Traffic W.Ko Mackay, BSc, C.Eng, AMICE,MInst.HE. I ASSOCIATES AND STAFF: Architecture Iain D, Arton, Dip.Arch, ARIBA. and *Alf Lester, B.Arch, ARAIA, .Dip.CD, AMTPI. I Planning *Chris Lobban, Dip.Arch, ARIBA. David Anderson, Dip,Arch, ARIBA. Seonaidh Haig, BSc, ARIBA. I Lynne Gardner, MA. Neil Maxwell John Allan. Landscape •'David Thirkettle, Dip.LA(Reading),AILA. I Peter Smith, DHE, Dip;LD(Dunelm), AILA. *Brian Mitchell *James Hogg I Highway and '''Robert Kilpatrick, C.Eng, AMICE, AM Inst.HE. Traffic Engineering *John Swai Artist *David MacGregor, DA. I Secretarial and N.T. French, M.D. Nicholson. I Lithographic Work M. Smith, CONSULTANTS: Water Supply and Drainage D.A. Donald & Wishart, I Consulting Civil Engineers, Forest Ecology and Climate Maurice Caborn, BSc, PhD. Edinburgh University I Economic Study of Ian Buchanan, BA, AIB. Dundee University. Building Industry Charles Allan, MA. Strathclyde University. Transportation Computer I Programmes, D.M. Allan, BSc, AMICE. Glasgow University. I ADVISERS THROUGH AGENCY OF H.I.D.B. Soil Survey H. Glentworth, BSA, 'PhD. Macaulay Institute. I Terrain Analysis Prof. K.. Walton, MA, PhD. Aberdeen.University, I Wild Life Studies J. Morton Boyd, PhD, DSc. Nature Conservancy. Old Academy Buildings, 62, Kelvingrove Street, I DINGWALL. GLASGOW, C<3. I Abased at Dingwall. I I I I ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I We wish to acknowledge the close co-operation and help we have received n from George Pease, DA (Edin.), ARIBA, AMTPI, County Planning Officer of I Ross and Cromarty, his Deputy, Robin Gray, DA, AMTPI, and from C. J. Harley, BA, AMTPI, the County Development Officer. We have received help and advice from a large number of people and partic- • ularly wish to acknowledge that received from:- | J. M. Dunlop, MA, LLB, County Clerk, Ross and Cromarty. n T. M. Aitchison, MA, LLB, Senior Deputy County Clerk, Ross and Cromarty. .• James Arroll, AMICE, MIMun.E, County Road .Surveyor, Ross and Cromarty. George Peat, BSc.,MICE, County Water & Drainage Engineer, Ross and Cromarty. Peter S. Leask, ARIBA,AMTPI,MRSH,ARIAS, County Architect, Ross and Cromarty. • J. Landess Horne, MD,DPH, Medical Officer of Health, Ross and Cromarty. • R. MacDonald, MA, Ed.B., Director of Education, Ross and Cromarty. Kenneth Ross, Chief Constable, Ross and Cromarty. a Hugh K. Allan, Chief Social Welfare Officer, Ross and Cromarty. g J. M. Haddow, Children's Officer, Ross and Cromarty. R. W. Edwards, Housing Factor, Ross and Cromarty, _ A. C. Sheddon, until recently Town Clerk of Invergordon. * T. K. Marshall, Town Clerk, Dingwall. • H. G. Johnstone, Burgh Surveyor, Dingwall. • D. W. M. Calder, FRIBA,MTPI,County Architect and Planning Officer, Inverness. n W. R. Mathieson, B.Com., Development Officer, County of Inverness. I H. D. V. Forsyth, AMICE,ARICS,AMIWE, County Water and Drainage Engineer, Inverness. David Hamilton, C.Eng.,AMICE,MIMun.E., County Surveyor, Inverness. • J. R. Hill, MA, LLB, Town Clerk, Inverness. W. T. Jack,ARIBA,AMTPI,FRIAS, Inverness Burgh Architect and Planning Officer. • E. W. Maclntyre, Firemaster, Inverness. Q Arthur W. Currie, Assessor and Registration Officer, Inverness. H. F. Mackenzie, AEI, Deputy Assessor, Inverness. M N. D. Couper, ARIBA,AMTPI, County Planning Officer, County of Nairn. Charles Beaton, Dip.TP,ARIBA,ARIAS, County Architect and Planning Officer I of Sutherland.. • I I I I I I I I ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (contd.) A, B. Wylie, MBE, Planning Division, Scottish Development Department. I John Miller, until recently of the Scottish Development Department. W. B. Cape, BSc., AMIMUNE, AMTPI, Scottish Development Department. 1 A. N. Sutherland, AMICE, Roads Division, Scottish Development Department. Dr. I. D. Pennie, Nature Conservancy. Dr. D. A. Pattison, University of Strathclyde, I H Maxwell , Forestry Commission. f : T. B. Macdonald and S. L. Hamilton both of the Department of Agriculture I •-'• .•-.-.•• . , and Fisheries, Air Vice-Marshal M. Macdonald, Scottish Landowners Association. I A. B. L. Munro-Ferguson, Chairman, Northern Regional Scottish Woodland . Owners Association, Duncan Macduff, National Farmers Union. I A. Macarthur, Crofter Commission. J. W. Grant and W. J... S. Merchant of the North of .Scotland College of I Agriculture. D. &. Munro, Hamilton's Auction Markets, Dingwall. I In collecting information about the building industry we. have :had the help and co-operation of:- I Douglas Baird, of Duncan Logan. J. K. Hall of Halls of Aberdeen. A. F. S. Morrison, of Morrisons of Tain. I J. A. Clark, MICE, MIStructE, MInstH.E, of R. J. Macleod. I I We should also like to acknowledge the help and courtesy which we have received throughout this study from members and officers of the Highlands I and Islands Development Board. I I I I I I I 1 CONTENTS OF THE REPORT 1 1 I Introduction, Summary of Report PART ONE and Outline of Main Conclusions I PART TWO Subregional Study I PART THREE Subregional Strategy | PART FOUR Alness Study 1 1 PART FIVE Housing Study PART SIX Supporting Studies | PART SEVEN Appendices ' 1 1 1 1 I I .. i ; ' ,-" .. ; : • PART ONE i INTRODUCTION, OUTLINE OF REPORT I AND SUMMARY OF MAIN CONCLUSIONS I I I I I I I I CONTENTS I I INTRODUCTION .„ i ...... ........................... ,. .. ., page 1, I I : OUTLINE OF REPORT . , , ... ,. ,., ..,, . .page 6 . I * SUMMARY OF MAIN CONCLUSIONS .,...„,.... ,..-. .page 8 . I I I I I I I I I I 1 /'.', ^i=^====Ei •VIi. Xrk ~-\ •• . •; V • •• (' x_ -.- -, y---...«. ./--^=:~-™:"~_^==^==r== •*-'. \ \^ J A• • . -~J" - —~- —— ;^_-- ~ I <.. \ pV—J: ^P--^ErE^fEEr^EEEzEEErr^fEEEl ^ " ' "'' '"~~~"~'"™ >. ?„,„ • ~v \ V f' ' '""•- ~ •• - r -"• ~.m_™ . ^^»«__! • / •"~""'.. 9M • *-•-. ** _ • % 3' ^_"__ --^~—••— ~^ii^^ ir"^."!.;"^."' ~~~~T-~- -^ -fl X / • .- ^J ^ =x \ * • T ". !_„ -.-',._*.,.—- —_ - ."..-, ', ~— f - "'""' ----—•— p •* _ •* ._' * -'•-.. f~~' ^« ^ ^ -.---. —_.....--.---..,. „-„ =-..-.^_-..J._^^.J,...... ^.^^—^,.-._,^-,...-,.^-^.....^--,_.,. ^ • *j-i:r~-"'" *» * .v». */J: ; ;^:^^r.^: Grantown-on -spey 16 "^ 9- ••: • I I /~~^ I Klngussle 11 & ' ' •' -'7^ •^ • .•• dispersed population, 25persons ^ I 8 • settlements of over 200 persons • (in hundreds) non-burghal 4 small burgh Tolni7 I large burgh INVIRNBSS 297 : 1 --^ I 31 •.-..*.- DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION 1961 compiled from Scotland Population Distribution 1961 published by Wm.Colllnj on behalf of the University of Glasgow 1965 I I I 1. I INTRODUCTION I The Highlands and Islands Development Board was established in 1965 to assist the I people of the Scottish Highlands and Islands to improve their social and economic conditions I and.to enable the area to play a more effective part in the growth of the nation. Paragraphs I 88 'to 97 of the Board's first Report relate to the importance of the Moray Firth Development in their overall policy for achieving its I objectives. I Our appointment to assess the capacity of the Moray Firth area for development was con- I firmed in January, 1967, and had been preceded by an Industrial Gredibility Study. Our task I was "to prepare a.-plan for urban land use, and an infrastructure arising from industrial expansion at Invergordon". It has not been I part of our brief to argue the case for indust- rial development at Invergordon from the local, I regional or national points of view, but to examine and report on the consequences of such I development. The brief issued to us by the Highlands and Islands Development Board is fully I set out in Appendix One. This investigation of the capacity for dev- I elopment in the Moray Firth area has had to be carried out in the absence of the sort of infor- I mation normally available to urban expansion studies. The amount and type of industrial I development expected, the rate of industrial growth and consequently the rate and character I of population expansion have remained largely unknown during the period of the study. This I situation has made us very conscious of the need I I 2. I for a plan with real flexibility, and has ! I also deterred us from attempting speculat- m ive quantitative forecasts, except in a B few special circumstances. It is an impor- tant conclusion from our analysis that I further work will be required as soon as reliable data become available as to the I type, scale, timing and location of indus- trial development. fl| Clearly the most important single fact known to us was the probability of large- I scale, capital-intensive, industrial devel- _ opment in the vicinity of Invergordon. In- £ deed this possibility is the immediate cause of the whole study, which could in fact be • described as an account of how we answered the question, if major industrial develop- tt ment occurs at Invergordon where should the people live? This question raises many more, • and some of them are specified in our brief. ™ The answers to such questions as far as we M have been able to ascertain them make up the J| strategy for development, which we foresee could result in a future population of between • • 250,000 and 300,000 persons living in the ^o.ray Firth area, compared with its present • population of approximately 70,000. The possibilities which we have identified on our • Strategy map cannot be taken as more than an * indication of reasonable areas for development « if the need arises and if the principles under- 0 lying the strategy are adopted.