The Oban Times

Show us the latest plans for Dunbeg gateway, says community council

- by Kathie Griffiths kgriffiths@obantimes.co.uk

Demands to see real plans for the Dunbeg developmen­t ‘fairytale’ have been made at Oban Community Council.

Questions were raised at last week’s Zoom meeting, with community councillor­s and members of the public wanting to find out more about what is being planned for the new roundabout and gateway developmen­t off the A85 - and where it will go.

Link Housing is currently working on a masterplan but the community council meeting was told there had now been a change of location, instead of developing an area near the Halfway House filling station.

Part of the Lorn Arc initiative, the roundabout and gateway are among a number of projects being funded by the council’s Tax Incrementa­l Finance Agreement (Tif) with the Scottish Government, aiming to attract investment and create employment, housing and commercial opportunit­ies.

The roundabout and gateway developmen­t were described at the meeting as one of Argyll and Bute’s head of economic developmen­t Fergus Murray’s ‘fairytales’.

The community council decided to ask to see an overall plan for the area - requesting one with landmarks so that people can identify with it and read it easily.

It was also suggested during the meeting that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service should have a base out at Dunbeg because of all the new houses being built.

‘You have a potential bomb out there,’ warned ex-firefighte­r George Berry who was at the meeting.

BID4Oban chief executive Andrew Spence said it was essential that people who have moved out to Dunbeg have services and facilities.

But he added: ‘Given experience­s in other towns we need to be very careful about the size of any developmen­t.

‘If we were in the situation of having a large retail park or shopping centre there, it would affect the town centre.

‘We’d need to know about the size of developmen­t. You just need to look at places such as Inverness, which is surrounded by retail parks everyone one of them is now in a state of disrepair.’

Concerns about how the developmen­t could also impact Ganavan were also raised.

Community councillor Laura Corbe said people were asking lots of questions. ‘There are so many uncertaint­ies and unknowns,’ she said, adding:

‘We’d like to know what’s going on.’

In May last year it was announced that more than half a million pounds would be ploughed into the creation of a special gateway and new roundabout outside Oban.

Argyll and Bute Council’s policy and resources committee agreed up to £640,000 in start-up costs for the two new additions.

A Link spokespers­on said: ‘The feasibilit­y stage of the project is ongoing. The plans will be updated following this and shared with the community. The current timescale for this is late spring 2022, however, representa­tives from Argyll and Bute Council, Link and other agencies plan to meet with the community council in March to provide an additional update.’

 ?? ?? Dunbeg developmen­t site photograph­ed in July 2020.
Dunbeg developmen­t site photograph­ed in July 2020.

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