New Council Office For Caithness

26th March 2007

The process for the development of a new Highland Council office in Wick took a step further forward this week when members of the Council's Resources Committee agreed to ask four developers to submit outline solutions for the development to the Council.

At the end of 2006 and early 2007 the Council advertised its requirements for a new office to provide accommodation for between 150 - 200 staff currently based in a number office buildings in Wick. Expressions of interest were received by the end of January and
pre-qualification questionnaires were received in late February from four developers:

K G Estates Ltd (a consortium of William Gray Construction Ltd & Kilmartin Property Group Ltd);

Robertson property Ltd.;

Synergie Scotland Ltd.; and

Tulloch Ltd.

Members were informed that all four developers have demonstrated to the Council that they have the technical experience, and access to funding to take the office development project forward.

The four developers will be invited to submit proposals that will provide a solution to providing a new Council office in Wick. These proposals will incorporate the principle of rationalising the existing office accommodation in Wick onto a single site, however, should an out of town site be identified for the Council office then separate town centre accommodation would be required for the Council's Service Point.