Masterplan for Craigforth site drawn up
Project on a massive scale
A major redevelopment of the Craigforth site on the outskirts of Stirling is being considered.
The project comprises offices, retail, leisure, pubs, restaurants, residential, hotel, a care home, distillery, visitor centre, nursery and infrastructure in the area over 110 acres of land.
Ambassador LB Holdings LLP has already submitted a pre-application notice to Stirling Council planners for the project.
A further submission to the planners seeks a screening opinion as to whether an Environmental Impact Assessment will be needed as part of any subsequent formal planning application.
In details issued by council planners, they say: “The precise mix, density and layout will be based upon a comprehensive master planning process currently underway.
“A detailed application is also being prepared, which covers the northern portion of the wider site for a major office development including car parking, landscaping and associated infrastructure, to potentially come forward ahead of the delivery of the wider masterplan. This is to take place at the Craigforth Campus.
“The proposed development will cover 58 hectares and seeks to deliver an employment, leisure, tourism and residential destination at Craigforth.
“The proposals seek to expand upon the existing facilities to deliver a new active campus with improved amenities, public realm and upgraded accessibility with additional employment opportunities for the wider community.
“The extensive redevelopment will involve the demolition of the existing buildings leading to the creation of development plots for alternative uses.”
The planners say in light of the scale of the development proposed on what is largely undeveloped land it is considered that the reversibility of the development is “unlikely”.
In addition, the extent of the proposed development is likely to result in impacts in terms of natural habitats, hydrology, roads, biodiversity, air quality and landscape and visual impacts and the effect of the development is likely to be “significant”.
They added: “The proposed development is located on land immediately adjacent to the River Forth, which joins to the River Teith approximately 1km to the north. From the confluence of these rivers, both up and downstream, the Rivers Teith and Forth are part of the River Teith Special Area of Conservation (SAC) designated for Atlantic salmon and brook, river and sea lamprey. The qualifying species require good water quality - the location of the proposed development upstream from the SAC means that there is connectivity to the site through potential impact on water quality both during construction and once completed.
“Overall, it is considered that an Environmental Impact Assessment is required for the scale of the development proposed.”
The planner say among the subjects will have to be addressed in the EIA is the cumulative impact of development on the site on the local landscape and its potential impact on nearby national monuments.
A masterplan will also have to be prepared, they say, addressing how landscape, place making, connectivity and biodiversity will be sympathetically incorporated. A number of trees are also likely to be impacted or removed and a trees survey will be needed to show how the condition of the trees on the site has been taken into account to inform the design of the development and to detail replacement planting.