Work is due to start next week on the controversial new council headquarters in Fort William that sparked the end of the Lochaber town’s community council.
Highland Council granted itself planning permission to convert and extend the former secondary school building on Achintore Road to replace other council offices in Fort William, saving the council around £400,000 each year.
And a spokeswoman for the local authority confirmed that contractors Robertson Northern would set up works on the site next week.
But this is not popular with some local people, including Fort William Community Council, which strongly opposed the design for the £5.7million project.
Members felt they were being ignored by the council, describing this decision as the final straw.
And they resigned en masse claiming that Highland Council did not adequately listen or respond to the needs and concerns of Fort William.
Former community councillors then set up a new group, called For Lochaber, to represent the area.
Its chairman Duncan Brown, yesterday said: “We were particularly unimpressed with the plans for the new council offices, as we did not appreciate the design features of annexing a new building of modern external finishing and a metal roof onto a grey granite traditional school building.
“The Highland Council basically ignored our submission on this matter.”
He added that the group believed the council to be “too large and Inverness-centric to be responsive to the needs and aspirations of Lochaber”.
Councillor Andrew Baxter, Fort William and Ardnamurchan, who voted against the proposal, said: “We have got to listen to local opinion, but I genuinely thought it was an unimaginative, bog standard extension, which would detract from the old school building.
“We need the new premises, but I think we missed the opportunity to do something special at the gateway to the town.”
However, Lochaber committee leader Councillor Thomas MacLennan is pleased that work is about to start on the site.
He said: “Nothing summed up Fort William better than a sad old roofless school that was propped up with steelwork, that had cost more than a million pounds to maintain as a derelict site since the last schoolchild left the building.
“I am pleased to see this listed building is being brought back to life and giving the town of Fort William the welcoming gateway it deserves.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “Historic Environment Scotland has approved the design with the modern/traditional split.”
