Falkirk Gateway: Work could finally begin on long-awaited project with 100 homes, shops, pub and hotel promised

The Falkirk Gateway initiative would deliver new homes, offices, food outlets and leisure facilities. Following the signing of a new development agreement, those behind the project say a planning application for the 27-acre site is only months away.

Joint venture partners Hargreaves Land and Fintry Estates have reached agreement with Falkirk Council for the land adjacent to Forth Valley College and Falkirk Stadium which they say will bring about a transformation with an “ambitious” scheme featuring a mix of 100 new homes, a pub/restaurant and a 120-bedroom hotel.

More than 120,000 sq. ft of commercial floorspace to provide retail and leisure facilities are proposed as part of a package of initiatives that developers say will support the ongoing regeneration and development of Falkirk over the coming few years.

They add that it could bring over 400 full and part-time jobs in the construction, retail, office, hospitality and leisure sectors over the next 15 years.Work by the council is also about to begin on a programme of major road improvements to support the Falkirk Gateway, including upgrading roads around Falkirk's Westfield roundabout in a multi-million-pound investment to improve the flow of traffic in and around the area.

The developers said that if the council's planning committee gives the project the green light later this year, on site work is expected to begin in the second half of 2024 with completion of the scheme anticipated in 2026.Duncan McEwan, director at Fintry Estates, who is a former pupil of Falkirk’s Graeme High School, is the project lead. He said: “I’m very proud and excited to be working back in Falkirk, investing in the area and contributing to another significant chapter in the town’s long and illustrious history.”David Anderson, group property director at Hargreaves Land, said: “We are delighted to secure an agreement with the council, which sees our ambitious plans set to move to the next phase. We are working with Fintry as joint venture partners to bring forward a fantastic scheme that will deliver new homes and growth for Falkirk, with new jobs and prosperity to follow for years to come.”Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council said: “This is a significant step forward for the economic regeneration of the Falkirk area and brings massive investment as well as hundreds of jobs. It will transform an area that has been empty for many years and we look forward to seeing the delivery of the project by 2026.”