Wick town centre in Caithness may be currently “dying on its feet” – but a glimmer of hope has been found for the future.
Built over three floors, a landmark historic building on High Street – previously the town’s Woolworths before becoming the Original Factory Shop – has lain empty for more than a year.
But now the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council has gained funding for a feasibility study to bring the premises back to life.
The £13,500 for the consultation has come from the community fund of the Beatrice offshore wind farm.
A contract to carry out the study has been awarded to Alan Jones Associates, of Inverness.
John Bogle, of Wick Community Council, said: “It’s an eyesore. The whole of the town centre is dying on its feet and has been for a few years now.
“That’s not the only empty shop and it doesn’t give a nice feeling, it’s a pretty grey town centre. Some shops have made an effort and what a difference it makes but the whole place needs brightened up.
“This particular building was Woolworths for a long time. Then it was the Original Factory Shop before it closed.
“It is a big building over three floors so is unlikely that we will get a national retailer moving in. They are moving out of places like Wick.”
He was was positive about turning the fortunes of Wick around and said there are several projects underway to regenerate the town centre.
Mr Bogle said: “The study will look at potential uses of the building, it could be part retail, part community use.
“The community council held indoor markets every Saturday of September in a council building across the road from the empty shop, which proved popular and brought more people into the town centre.
“This is an idea which could feed in to the consultation.”
The consultants have experience of similar projects in the north. They were involved in the business plan for the John O’Groats Mill, are working on redeveloping the Old Picture House in Tain and a museum project for an old school in Brora.
Mr Bogle added: “They will be consulting with the public, asking what is missing and hopefully we will get some ideas which might be worth exploring.”
Meanwhile, Highland Council is embarking on a £550,000 investment replacing heating at 48 homes in Wick.
A spokeswoman said: “Forty-eight homes across the Highland Council ward three area (Wick and surrounding area) will receive upgrade to existing old and inefficient heating systems in order to continue to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock.
“The upgrades with involve a mixture of technologies – gas heating, air source heating or modern, efficient storage hearing – identified through individual property survey.
“Works are now being mobilised following award of the tender and will commence over the coming weeks.”
