Grangemouth-based IKM Consulting has been appointed to deliver a scheme designed to transform the facilities at Port Edgar Sailing School near Queensferry, Scotland.

The installation of a new boat lift is being proposed for the Edinburgh Leisure-operated marina and sailing school, which occupies a former naval base near the Forth Road Bridge. IKM has already carried out initial ground investigations to assess the soil and geological conditions of the area to see whether the scheme is feasible, with the next phase to include the piling and engineering design.

The new lift is designed to allow a range of boats to be launched from existing jetties into deep water and forms part of plans to ensure the facility is self-supporting and enable future commercial development. IKM Consulting environmental scientist Neil Chalmers said: "We have procured the drilling contractor, supervised the ground investigation and drilled boreholes on site to obtain rock core samples, which are currently being tested in the laboratory.

"When this phase of work is completed the modernisation of the site can commence with the installation of a new hi-tech boat-lift which will be able to lift vessels of up to 20 tonnes."