Green light for major Montrose Port project on former fire training centre site

Montrose Port Authority has secured permission for a “landmark expansion” of its operations on a major town industrial site.

Angus councillors this week cleared the way for the redevelopment of the former Petrofac fire training centre at Forties Road. The multi-million-pound project is the latest stage in the port’s ambitions to be a key player in Scotland’s offshore renewable sector.

The new development includes four large warehouses, a three-storey office block and 20 smaller business units. Almost 150 parking spaces will be provided. It will also bring road improvements which have been welcomed for the north of the town.

The port acquired the 45-acre site in 2024. Proposals for the land were revealed the following year.

Angus development standards committee considered the application this week. Planning officials had recommended conditional approval of the ambitious development.

Two new accesses will be created, including a roundabout onto the A92. The existing Charleton House access drive will be altered to create a new entrance on the north-east of the site. Many of the buildings which occupied the land have already been cleared.

The project could help ease drainage problems which have plagued the north end of the town for decades. This includes the creation of SUDS ponds for site surface water to ease the load on the local system.

Chief executive Tom Hutchison previously said the Forties Road scheme was a “key part” of the port’s long-term vision.

Montrose fire training centre first opened in the late 1970s. It was the first of its kind in the offshore industry and delivered vital live fire training. Local councillors welcomed the economy-boosting initiative.

Independent Tommy Stewart said:

“Montrose is a major player in renewables, gas and oil. Companies want to locate here. Montrose is screaming out for office space and warehousing and this is a huge footprint capable of supporting that.”

SNP colleague Bill Duff added:

“When I first came to Montrose about 40 years ago the daily fires and smoke coming from the oil training centre were a feature of life. There’s a lot of good things. The access of Charleton Road, the new roundabout is ideal and takes some of the traffic off the internal roads of the industrial estate. Twenty small business units is excellent and something Montrose needs.”

He added:

“This is part of the port’s masterplan to get the businesses out of the quayside area to somewhere they can operate in modern facilities. That clears the quayside for other businesses that really need to be on the quayside. So, a big opportunity for the port, a good development in Montrose and a significant expansion of warehousing in this area.”

A separate small-scale redevelopment of another well-known Montrose site was also approved. The town’s former ropeworks in Bents Road will incorporate a yoga studio, hairdresser’s and domestic storage facility.

This article appeared in the Courier on 24 April 2026