A group that wants to build a marina in Stonehaven will soon find out if their vision will ever come to fruition.
Stonehaven Town Partnership believe creating a marina at the harbour, complete with sailing school, diving school and yacht club, will cement the town as a “premier” tourist destination.
In June, the group was awarded £22,500 funding which will be used to investigate the feasibility of the project.
Contractors bidding for the chance to carry out the feasibility study have until the middle of the month to submit their quotes, before a newly-formed steering group decide who will do the works.
Yesterday Wynne Edwards, chairman of the Stonehaven Harbour Development Feasibility Steering Group, said it was “rewarding” to see the project begin to move forward.
He said: “It’s satisfying that we’ve been able to secure the funding to allow us to at least look at the feasibility of what we’re proposing, so we will at least know what the potential is for the harbour and what is and is not possible.
“At the moment there are no plans as such, this is a feasibility study to determine whether or not there’s any potential for development of the harbour in such a way to make it more viable, positive and self-sustaining, which would be in everyone’s interests.”
The scheme could cost between £5million to £8million to construct.
After the study is completed, the STP – with support from Aberdeenshire Council, will hold a full public consultation to determine the support for the project.
Mr Edwards added: “The people of Stonehaven will have every opportunity to contribute to the discussions and debate before any decisions are made.
“This feasibility study is very much the first step – there’s very little point in having a conversation in the abstract, a conversation of ‘I think we could’ rather than ‘this could be done, or that could not be done’. People will be able to contribute to that.
“It may well turn out there’s very little to be done, but it’s entirely important we know.”
Anyone who has any comments about what the consultant should include in the feasibility study should forward them to projects@stpweb.org