Housing development for Scottish freeport

The consent for the housing on the edge of Easter Ross town, Invergordon, is the first granted in the area since the nearby Inverness and Cromarty Firth was awarded green freeport status.

Incorporating the Port of Nigg and Port of Cromarty Firth near Inverness, the Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport company hopes to create more than 10,000 jobs locally in the coming years.

“The granting of permission to this much needed mix of affordable and private housing is maximising the once-in-a-generation opportunities that the green freeport will bring,” said Calum MacPherson, chief executive of Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport.

“Not only will the new development in Invergordon mark a significant step in providing housing for skilled workers moving to the area – importantly, it will also provide affordable housing for those that wish to stay and work in the region.”

The ramping up of activity at the Port of Nigg and Port of Cromarty Firth resulting from freeport status is expected to lead to an influx of skilled workers putting pressure on an already stretched Easter Ross housing stock.

To mitigate this, Capstone Construction, along with the Highland Council, will build 66 new homes at the site near Rosskeen on the northern edge of Invergordon. The 6.2 hectare development will comprise a combination of affordable housing and private dwellings as well as associated infrastructure and outdoor recreation areas.