Fort William’s long term regeneration programme is moving into its next phase as work continues across housing, transport, culture, leisure and economic development throughout the town and wider Lochaber area.
Fort William 2040 brings Highland Council together with partner organisations around a shared vision for making the area a better place to live, work, visit and invest, with the programme originally developed alongside communities, businesses and other local stakeholders.
Thirteen initiatives have now been delivered since the programme began, including housing developments, flood protection improvements, active travel infrastructure, expanded visitor facilities, better digital connectivity and investment in the town centre.
Attention over the next 12 months will increasingly turn towards Fort William town centre, future culture and leisure facilities and the development of practical proposals through the Fort William Integrated Transport Plan.
Lochaber Area Committee Chair Councillor Kate Willis said:
“FW2040 is about taking a long-term view and working together to deliver meaningful improvements for Fort William and Lochaber.
“While many of the projects are complex and take time to develop, real progress is being made, and momentum is growing.
“We have already seen significant investment delivered across the area and there is a strong pipeline of projects that will help support communities, businesses and visitors over the coming years.
“The strength of FW2040 is the partnership approach, bringing organisations together behind a shared vision for the area we call home.”
Transport remains one of the significant pieces of the programme, with proposals being developed to improve the bus station and wider connections while the Integrated Transport Plan considers how people will move around Fort William and into the wider Lochaber area in future.
Culture and leisure provision is also under consideration following a recent appraisal which identified opportunities for more modern, flexible and accessible facilities for residents and visitors.
Those projects sit alongside continuing work around housing growth, healthcare investment, active travel, community facilities and wider opportunities for economic development.
FW2040 Project Manager Alison Martin said:
“The programme continues to evolve as projects progress and new opportunities emerge.
“Our focus is on ensuring effort is directed where it can add the greatest value, supporting projects that will help create a vibrant, connected and sustainable future for Fort William and Lochaber.
“Partnership working remains at the heart of FW2040 and we look forward to continuing to work with communities, businesses and organisations as we move into the next phase of delivery.”
The programme’s online information is also due to be updated, allowing people to follow individual projects more easily and see how they fit into the wider plans for Fort William and Lochaber.
The ambition behind FW2040 is considerable, but the important measure over the coming years will be how much of that long term vision becomes visible on the ground, with 13 completed initiatives providing the foundations for what comes next.
