The American owner of a former oil yard on the Cromarty Firth has been accused of deliberately obstructing plans to reopen it – stalling moves which could create around 1,000 jobs.
It was claimed yesterday that US giant KBR, which owns about two-thirds of the Nigg yard in Easter Ross, was refusing access to consultants commissioned by Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to draw up a master plan for the site, and provide an environmental impact report.
Highland politicians yesterday accused KBR of holding up the region’s economic development.
Halcrow and Mackay Consultants, of Inverness, was commissioned to prepare the master plan. The council then planned to pursue a compulsory purchase order on the 300-acre site to end a five-year wrangle over its future, if the current owners failed to reach an agreement.
Once that was achieved, the local authority intended to seek a partner to put the master plan into action.
But Drew Hendry, former chairman of Highland Council’s planning, environment and development committee who is still actively involved with the authority’s negotiations regarding Nigg, yesterday said the plan was being delayed by KBR.
He learned of the situation while checking why the plan had not been completed when it should have been ready for publication in July.
“I discovered that KBR is being obstructive in not allowing access to the site for an inspection for the environmental impact report. It is also being delayed because the consultants are being told the decision makers are unavailable or on holiday.
“The key is to get Nigg back into full-time productive use for the people of Highland. It’s just not on that KBR is obstructing this process.
“I want them to tell us why they are not co-operating fully with HIE and the council immediately. Nigg is too important to be left to rot. Either they should announce their own plans for it, or allow us to get on with returning the yard to productive use.”
Highlands and Islands MSP Rob Gibson said the council and HIE had been making good progress and did not need KBR “playing games” with them.
“Nigg is key to the economic development of the firth and KBR is holding us to ransom again. We must not have this held up. It’s taken so long to get to this stage,” said the SNP MSP.
Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP Mary Scanlon said: “This is an enormous loss to economic growth of the Highland area and any person or organisation who stands in the way of the full utilisation of the Nigg Yard should hang their head in shame.”
A KBR spokeswoman said it was still trying to find a reputable company to buy its interest in the yard but refused to comment on the accusation KBR was being obstructive.