Old lemonade factory in Buckie among sites across Moray that could be given new lease of life

An old lemonade factory, derelict pub and a disused auction mart could all be given a new lease of life.

Along with three other brownfield sites they have been identified by Moray Council as priority for redevelopment.

Members of the planning and regulatory services committee will be asked to agree further work to identify new uses for the sites at a meeting on Tuesday.

Priority areas include four in Buckie. They are the disused lemonade factory on Blairdaff Street, the old gasworks on Barron Street, McLaren’s Brae on March Road and 1 to 3 Bank Street.

The other two are the auction mart on Tytler Street and the Castle Inn on Caroline Street in Forres.

They form part of a long list of more than 120 brownfield sites across Moray in need of redevelopment.

They were rated on their level of disrepair, the impact on the community of the site remaining vacant, potential sustainable uses, benefits of bringing land and buildings back into use and the likelihood of them being rejuvenated without further intervention.

Seven other sites fitted the criteria as priority projects.

They are Grant Lodge in Cooper Park, the former Jailhouse nightclub and Junners toyshop building in the town centre, the auction mart and old sawmill on Linkwood Road and the Elgin Club on Commerce Street all in Elgin.

The two others are Leanchoil Hospital at Forres and the old Grampian Pork factory in Buckie.

However most of those properties are included in other redevelopment proposals such as the Moray Growth Deal and the Levelling Up Fund application, but will be added to the shortlist if funding bids are unsuccessful.

Money to rejuvenate the six priority sites could be available from the Scottish Government Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme, the Just Transition Fund and the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

In her report planning officer Rowena MacDougall said: “The feasibility works will include establishing contact with owners, identification of constraints, option appraisal of the suitable uses and initial design concepts.

“Should any of the shortlisted sites be found, at an early stage, not to be feasible, they will be substituted with another site.”

Councillors will be asked to delegate authority to the head of economic growth and development Jim Grant, to decide which other sites can be added to the list of priorities if any of the six identified cannot be taken forward.