Housing plans have come forward for a historic Arbroath factory site.
The one-time Abbey Leather Works was a 19th century shoe factory with a store capable of holding 50,000 pairs of boots in its heyday.
The Ernest Street building – close to Arbroath Abbey – later became well-known as the Box factory can-making facility.
The factory buildings, next to Arbroath allotments, stood until around 2010.
Now a major proposal has been lodged for affordable housing on the site.
A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) has been submitted by social housing developer First Endeavour LLP.
At this stage the PAN simply signals the intention to progress a residential development.
There is no definite indication of how many houses will be built.
No planning application can be lodged until three months after a PAN is submitted.
First Endeavour plan to hold a public consultation event in nearby Abbey Bowling Club on August 1.
Dundee and Fife developments
The Aberdeen and Fife-based developer has been involved in a number of Courier country projects.
Work got underway last August on a near 100-home project beside Cowdenbeath Golf Club.
It is one of the final projects from Fife Council’s Phase 3 affordable housing programme.
The initiative has delivered 3,500 new affordable houses across the kingdom as part of a partnership between the council and First Endeavour.
And in November the company showcased plans for around 130 flats on the site of Dundee’s former Halley’s Mill.
Arbroath factory’s interesting history
The Abbey Works were operated by Messrs Samuel Fairweather & Sons, boot and shoe manufacturers.
It carried out a rebuild of the factory to create a new frontage facing the ancient sandstone abbey.
The building later became Arbroath’s Metal Box factory, which then moved to Elliot.
It produced cans for household names including Crosse and Blackwell.
That site has now also been cleared and planning permission for a retail park anchored by Home Bargains was granted by Angus councillors late last year.
