Moray Estates instructs Shepherd to invite bids from housebuilders for two parcels of land at Tornagrain, Inverness

Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has been instructed by Moray Estates to invite bids from housebuilders for two parcels of land at Tornagrain in Inverness.

Planning permission was obtained nine years ago for the new town of Tornagrain, comprising nearly 5,000 homes alongside schools, shops, social and community facilities necessary to deliver on the original vision for a walkable community based on the traditions of a Scottish market town.

Today the first neighbourhood village is well on the way to completion with approaching 300 homes, community and recreation facilities, shops, a café and a nursery school.

Andrew Howard, Managing Director of Moray Estates, said: “Tornagrain has been designed to be an enduring and sustainable town, which builds on the architectural and planning traditions of Scotland and the Highlands.

“We wish Tornagrain to be a model town for the twenty-first century, fostering a vibrant and successful community. This development is setting a new standard and vastly improved quality of development.”

Neil Calder, partner in the Inverness office of Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, added: “This is a unique opportunity for developers to become involved in what is a landmark development opportunity.

“To date, the Estate has worked with two housebuilders, Places for People and A&J Stephen. The time is now right to broaden the opportunity to other like-minded housebuilders, and so additional serviced land is being marketed.

“The Estate is releasing two separate sites with a capacity for around 75 and 150 units respectively. Bidders are invited to prepare and submit a commercial offer to Tornagrain for either block of land. The invitation is to bid separately for either block, or collectively for both.”

Both parcels comprise part of the second phase of development of the masterplan for Tornagrain. Key elements of the second phase masterplan include: a high-quality public realm realised through considered landscape design, a permeable layout providing ease of movement and well composed streets; a seamless continuation of the streets and pedestrian routes and a mix of private and affordable dwellings with a varied range of accommodation types.

Steve Barnett, managing partner at Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, said: “Since inception, we note that Moray Estate’s aim for the Tornagrain development has been not only to create a new planned town but to fundamentally provide a townscape where the residents can build a sustainable and resilient community.”

Tornagrain is expected to take 50 years to complete and will provide a town similar in size to Nairn or Forres. The first houses were completed four years ago and earlier this year a landmark moment was achieved with the completion of its 250th home.

Tornagrain lies to the south of the A96, Inverness Airport and the associated Business Park, with Inverness seven miles west and Nairn nine miles east. The site extends to 259 hectares of agricultural land and woodland.

A new rail station is currently being built on land north of the A96, on the Inverness to Aberdeen line. The station is due to open at the end of this year and will be connected to Tornagrain by an active travel link and a bus route.

ENDS

For further information please contact Neil Calder or Steven Barnett at Shepherd on tel 07551 173667 or 07720 466018 or visit www.tornagrain.com

Notes to Editors

• The term Moray Estates are the estates and properties of the Earl of Moray and his family.
• The land on which the Tornagrain development sits is owned by one of the Estate companies, Moray Estates Developments Limited (MEDL).
• The subsidiary operating entity that employs the project team and takes responsibility for delivery of all the planning, design and enabling infrastructure is Tornagrain Limited.