Best lorry park in UK planned
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SURVEYS have shown that as many as 600 lorries and trailers can be parked overnight in central Aberdeen. But the £1.3m project to develop a lorry park complex at Altens industrial estate on the south side of the city could put an end to indiscriminate lorry parking within about 15 months.
The project, which has the support of both Grampian Region and Aberdeen City District, needs only to clear some planning technicalities for work to begin on the development.
A lorry park has been talked about for Aberdeen for 15 years, but the current plans stem from Grampian Region's initiative to seek developers for a park on a large site in Altens in late 1981. The JGB Group, of Aberdeen, tendered and won the right to develop the fiveacre site.
And the result could be "the most comprehensive facilities of any lorry park in the UK," according to Hamish Barrack who, with his brother, Bill, heads the JGB Group. "Our experience in road transport has told us what lorry drivers and operators want, and we believe we have put together the right package."
JGB, originally a haulier, is among many North-East Scottish businesses whose traditional horizons have broadened with the advent of the oil industry.
The new project covers 154 parking spaces for heavy goods vehicles, some designated for hazardous loads and others with power points at which refrigerated trailers can simply be plugged in overnight, diesel pumps, service workshops and a tyre bay; warehouses, an administration block, an accommodation block of 20 bedrooms and toilet, shower facilities for drivers who prefer to sleep in their cabs; a bar, restaurant, and recreation area, and a security fence and landscaping around the complex.
The site will be leased from the regional council, but investment by JGB will still be close to £1.3m, said Hamish Barrack.