GFG update wheel factory plans
REPRESENTATIVES of the GFG Alliance will meet residents and stakeholders from around Fort William next week to present an update on plans for a 400-worker alloy wheels factory in the town, writes Mark Entwistle.
Studies on the proposals are currently being finalised and the company aims to share the findings with local people during an information day on Thursday November 2 at the town’s Nevis Centre, prior to submitting a formal application to the Highland Council in November. The exhibition will be open from 2.30pm to 7.30pm.
Nearly 200 people turned up for an initial community consultation event held by the company at the nearby Ben Nevis Hotel in September, when details were first outlined for the development.
The factory intends to use liquid aluminium from the Liberty British Aluminium smelter, owned by GFG at Fort William, to make around two million alloy wheels a year for the UK car industry.
Brian King, managing director of Lochaber operations for the GFG Alliance, said: ‘We were very pleased by the size of the turnout for the first community consultation and very encouraged by the amount of local support there was for this proposal. We also had a valuable opportunity to listen to people’s comments on how we should take the plan forward and we’ve fed these to the team preparing the application for us.’
Those attending next week’s event will be given more details on what the new plant will look like, along with findings from the required environmental impact assessment including those relating to potential impact on transport, landscape, noise levels, air quality, ecology and cultural heritage, and any mitigation measures, where these might be necessary. There will be a further opportunity for the public to submit representations on the proposed development to the Highland Council once the planning application has been submitted.
A decision on the planning application is hoped to be made in spring 2018 and production could start in spring 2020.