Falkirk Council and FVC in land ‘swap’ deal

The council needs 1132.8 square metres of land on Grangemouth Road, Falkirk – currently owned by the college – so it can widen the A904 Falkirk to Grangemouth road.

In return the council will declare 859.92 square metres of land at Grangemouth Road, Falkirk 
surplus to requirements and agree to its disposal to Forth Valley College.

Councillors approved the proposal at a meeting of Falkirk Council’s emergency executive.

Widening the road to create a dual carriageway is part of the council’s planned improvements to the 
area’s roads, in particular all approaches to Westfield roundabout.

It will be paid for as part of the Tax Incremental 
Finance (TIF) scheme which provides funding to improve infrastrucure.

Forth Valley College says owning the strip of land would “regularise the boundary” at the front of its new campus.

The District Valuer (DV) has valued the respective sites, with the smaller, council-owned site valued at £42,500 and the larger FVC-owned site £56,000.

Falkirk Council will pay the difference in value to the college and this will also be met from the Falkirk TIF budget.

Councillor David Alexander, the SNP’s spokesperson on economic development, said the proposal was a 
“no-brainer”.

He said: “This is a good example of two partners getting together and sorting something out that benefits both, so for me it’s very straightforward.”