Start date for Inshes District Park phase 2

Construction of the second phase of development at Inshes District Park in Inverness will start on Monday 19th February 2018.  

The £580K contract, awarded to P1 Solutions of Edinburgh in December, will see the construction of an entrance plaza that will form a gathering place at the access from Stevenson Road, a 20 space car park, areas of open space and paths that will meander through the site from the entrance plaza to the existing footbridge over Inshes Road. 

This second phase is being constructed in a 6.3ha site set in rising ground between Stevenson Road and Inshes Road.  The planned completion date for the works is the 22nd of June 2018. 

The contractor will be erecting fencing around the site prior to works starting so all pedestrians and cyclists are advised that they should use alternative routes via Stevenson Road and Inshes until the completion of the works. 

Funding for the project has come entirely from developer contributions collected over the past number of years as well as active travel funding from SUSTRANS. 

The Inverness South Ward Councillors - Councillors Carolyn Caddick, Ken Gowans, Andrew Jarvie and Duncan Macpherson - are pleased that a start date has been set for the next development of the popular District Park, saying: “Since the first phase north of Stevenson Road was completed in 2012 the Park has become a very valuable asset to the local community and is very popular with cyclists, walkers and families. We’ve delighted that work is due to start in a few weeks’ time as phase 2  will extend and greatly enhance the green open space in this fast developing area of the city.”

The Highland Council will be erecting advance signage next week to let the public know that there will be no access through the site during the construction period and the contractor will be responsible for warning signage while work is underway. 

Following completion of these works, a separate planting and landscaping contract is expected to take place in the planting season of 2018/19. 

Inshes Community Association (ICA) who lease the park from the Council  spent £350K developing and funding facilities for phase 1. Chair of the Association, Thomas Prag said:  “The ICA have been working closely with the council to get phase 2 open for business, so we can’t wait to see the diggers start. We can now get on with developing some exciting new facilities for Inverness.”