ASDA Inquiry Postponed

A planning inquiry into the joint planning application by Asda Stores Ltd and Elphinstone Ltd for a retail store at Slackbuie, Inverness, was postponed shortly after it opened at Inshes Church, Inverness today (Monday) at the request of the applicants.

The hearing will resume on 16 February, next year.
 
The Reporter, David Russell, agreed to a postponement to allow for further traffic modelling work to prove the validity of some additional mitigation works at the Inshes Roundabout that would ease the potential for further traffic congestion at peak traffic flow periods.

The applicant was confident that proposals recently presented by the Council  might successfully overcome the Council’s transport reservations with the proposed application.
 
An additional four weeks were to be allowed for modelling with an equivalent time then being made available to advisers representing Inverness Estates Ltd, who are objectors to the development.
 
Following the Christmas holiday, all principal parties were then expected to prepare and exchange written precognitions to allow the Public Local Inquiry to restart on 16 February 2009.