The site of a council roads depot which burned down in Oban is to be vacated to make way for new development.
Members of Argyll and Bute Council’s area committee for Oban Lorn and the Isles heard yesterday that a new single depot for all council services in the town will be expanded at Jackson’s Quarry.
The Oban depot rationalisation project has reached the significant milestone with
the award of a works contract valued at £1.4 million for the redevelopment of the
current Jackson’s roads depot into a single, all services depot.
The Mill Park depot site, which was destroyed by fire three years ago, will be cleared and redeveloped.
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Competition for the design and build of a single depot at Jackson’s Quarry went to the market in July 2018. This was a complex exercise which included the additional step of liaising with the council’s insurers in respect of the Mill Park depot, given that that depot’s facilities were being reinstated, albeit elsewhere.
Luddon Construction was selected as the best bidders. A contract has been awarded to Luddon’s to the value of £1,339,138.51.
The contract length is nine months from award, with completion anticipated in
November 2019.
This involves an initial design and consents phase which should run until around June, and subject to sign-off and statutory approvals, the construction phase from June to November.
Speaking about the future use of the Mill Park depot, Councillor Roddy McCuish, Policy Lead for Roads and Amenity Services, said: “The market will decide what goes in there. If it’s to be housing or some other venture. The best value for the council doesn’t always mean monetary. It’s a prime site. There are hardly any sites in the centre of Oban. We will have to look very carefully at what goes in there.”
