GVA appointed by Falkirk Council to drive Gateway site investment

The local authority created the Gateway development site in a bid to entice investors and therefore boost the future economic prosperity of the area. GVA’s role in the coming months will be to stimulate market interest and help attract investors to the site.

Funded using Falkirk’s innovative Tax Incremental Funding (TIF) model, the Gateway is a project involving 150 acres of land. Initial plans involve the formation of an exciting new urban quarter, via £17 million of pump-priming investment.

A number of development sites and infrastructure projects fall under the Falkirk Gateway umbrella, including the state-of-the-art Falkirk Community Stadium and delivery of a new £83m STEM focussed Forth Valley College campus.

Work is currently underway to prepare the Gateway site and make it ready for development including site investigations, topographical surveys, a review of broadband and utility provisions and preparation of an overall drainage strategy for the site.

Keith Aitken, regional senior director of GVA, said: “With its excellent location at the heart of Scotland’s central belt, Falkirk has plenty to be positive about. Innovative developments like the Kelpies, Helix Park, the Stadium and the new College Campus make the wider Falkirk area an attractive place to visit and do business. This, coupled with a Council with a can-do approach, means I’m confident we are well placed to attract investment in the Gateway’s exciting new urban quarter.”

“With an excellent range of development opportunities and a supportive planning framework, not to mention Falkirk’s growing population and strong commitment to business growth, the Gateway is an exceptional location for investment.”

Douglas Duff, head of economic development and environmental services at Falkirk Council, added: “We are making good progress with the TIF initiative and are excited to witness this latest milestone in our plans for the coming year to support new development in Falkirk.

‎“Recent developments, including the Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies at The Helix, have raised the profile of the area on a national and international level and we are keen to build on that success with the marketing of the Gateway site.”

The Falkirk Gateway site is situated on the east side of Falkirk on the A9 (Falkirk northern distributor road) with access to the M9 network and good connections to the town centre.

The Falkirk TIF initiative, funded in partnership with the Scottish Government, is a key priority of the Council and the proposed works aim to improve infrastructure across the area that will enable further development, support traffic flow and attract private investment.

The Gateway site is one of 28 targeted investment zones identified by Falkirk Council. The sites all have development potential in varying sectors from residential, commercial and industrial to tourism and leisure.