Delays in developing Forthside amid contamination concerns and rising costs risk devaluing around £24 million of investment on the site it has been claimed.
Plans for the former MoD site, covering 35 acres, have been described as ‘once in a generation’ and recently received £19million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
It has been suggested it could be turned into a technology park with the creation of 1000 jobs.
But Stirling Council Tory group leader Neil Benny warned fellow councillors last week that lack of progress on the city centre site was a concern.
He said the project had the potential to be “transformative” for Stirling, Forth Valley and even Scotland - but that it was “losing value every day”.
SNP councillor Gerry McLaughlan also raised concerns about the delay - however stressed the importance of ensuring the council was not left with the headache of dealing with contamination, which has been the topic of much debate in discussions on the site for several years.
At the council’s finance, economy and corporate support committee last Thursday, Councillor Benny said: “The MoD land at Forthside now effectively has £24million hanging over the top of it.
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He said a “clean, unsullied site” was what was expected, but that there had also been failings to “articulate a vision” for the land for some time.
“Inflation is currently sitting well over 10 per cent in terms of some of the construction prices. It means it loses value every day we sit here and continue not to express what we want to do with it and move on it.
“It really concerns me the lack of progress on the MoD site. I understand there are things going on and there are pressures...but we need to move much faster on this because that site is a key economic site not just in Stirling but the whole of central Scotland. The potential for that site to become truly transformative of the Stirling economy, Forth Valley economy and feeding into the entire Scottish economy is enormous because of where it sits and what we could do with it. We need to get to the point where we have a clear vision and a masterplan for what we want to do with it so we can move forward with those conversations at political level to be able to say we want that site transferred over now.”
Earlier, Councillor McLaughlan referred to underspends in the City Region Deal within the council’s general fund capital programme, asking what was being done to “get back up to speed”.
He said the City Region Deal agreement also made it “quite clear” the council expected to take possession of a “clean site” from the MoD.
He said: “This is something that could affect the council for years. What are the safeguards and what is the definition of the ground we are taking on, because there is widespread concern that there’s contamination on the ground.
“If we take responsibility for that ground and don’t know what’s underneath it, it could expose us to a lot of money.”
Chief operating officer for infrastructure and environment Brian Roberts said the process with the MoD on decontamination arrangements was ongoing and while the handover was scheduled for March, this was now expected to run into the next financial year.
He added: “There’s no doubt there’s contamination on that site. We know that. There’s already a land quality audit done by the MoD.”
Mr Roberts said further work was underway and additional survey work being done. The council was also consulting with external advisers.
He suggested the council may if anything be left to deal with “normal” types of contamination seen on brownfield sites, with the MoD responsible for clearing anything more significant.
Committee chair Councillor Margaret Brisley said: “I think the officers are well aware that [contamination] could be a problem and I’m sure we rely on our officers carrying out due diligence on that ground and making sure that what we expected is what we get, which is a relatively clean site or compensation to allow it to be cleaned.”
