Blackness Village Responsible Travel Hub

Client: Historic Environment Scotland and Falkirk Council
Following our work on preparing the Blackness Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan, Planning Solutions Consulting were commissioned to develop and cost proposals for a Responsible Travel Hub to address the negative impact of the increase in visitors to Blackness. The ambition is to make Blackness a place where visitors and communities can travel safely and confidently; and to join up sustainable, planet-friendly travel options that connect people and allow the local community and businesses to grow and flourish in a healthier, accessible and attractive environment.

We worked with the local community and partners to design and cost a Responsible Travel Hub, including dedicated facilities and infrastructure for visitors to the village and castle, at an appropriate location in the village.

Our work included a detailed options appraisal to identify a preferred location for the facility and developing the core components to be included within the hub, including: Adequate provision of permanent and overflow parking options; EV charging points; approved signage and interpretation to guide visitors to Blackness Castle and local facilities; secure bicycle racks / storage, public bike pump and hire provision (including provision for E-bikes and a docking station to connect into the Forth Bike network; improvements to local footpaths and trails and drop off and turning areas for minibus / bike trailer.

We were also responsible for managing design input, costs and a delivery plan to take forward the proposal.