ING gets go-ahead for £175m Bo’ness waterfront scheme

Scottish ministers have approved at public inquiry ING Real Estate’s proposals for a £175m waterfront scheme in central Scotland. Detailed consent was granted for 200 residential units, a 90-bedroom hotel, yacht club, restaurant, bars and retail, as well as a new 220 berth marina at Bo’ness Harbour. In addition, outline consent was granted for approximately 550 more homes over the eight-year program. Falkirk council granted outline consent for the scheme last year as it wants to embark on a £12m restoration of the 400-year-old harbour and needs to release funds to do this. Fer Dijkstra, consultant for ING Real Estate on the project, said: “This is another step in the process of regenerating the whole area. “The restoration of the harbour can now be kick-started, with the first contracts being awarded, in terms of infrastructure, this July.” The waterfront development will link to the Scottish Rail Museum and to the council’s £5m restoration project of historic buildings in Bo’ness town centre. The town centre and harbour area have Outstanding Conservation Area status The development forms part of the ‘My Future’s in Falkirk’ regeneration initiative, which includes Macdonald Estates’ £500m Falkirk Gateway scheme. ING will now conclude legal work before embarking on the scheme in July.