Councillors to consider renewed Inverness City Vision
A report (PDF) will be considered by members of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee on Monday 9 August, which sets out a renewed vision for shaping the future of the city. The City Vision will form part of the Highland Wide Local Development Plan, and future area Local Development Plans. It has been prepared by the Council’s Planning and Development Service following public consultation.
It is hoped the preparation of the vision will help attract vital funding from the Scottish Government to enable key projects, such as improved traffic circulation, enhanced green spaces and city centre developments, to proceed when funds become available.
Planners are focusing on the four key qualities that the public want to achieve for the city:
Emerging ambitions for Inverness are that it become a –
The overall city diagram considers the city in several elements:
In addition there are cross-cutting elements which include:-
The report states: “What emerges, very simply, is a resurgent city centre as the heart of Inverness, surrounded by better connected neighbourhoods with good local facilities.”
Where the elements overlap, three key priority areas have been identified and outline masterplanning exercises have been undertaken for Longman, Ness-side and Raigmore.
The report says: “For each element and area, strategies can be developed to guide future development. Some areas may be more relaxed in their approach; others may describe a more disciplined approach about what is expected, there is no one size fits all for the city as a whole.”
The report highlights that collective responsibility is the key stating: “The Highland Council alone cannot make it all happen so we need to be clever about management of resources to secure opportunities for the future. Being clear on priorities encourages leadership at all scales and across sectors. Changing mindsets will create a process of enabling; allowing conversations to happen. We must learn from what is happening around us as we become a UniverCity, with every action in the city becoming a learning resource. The role of the council and public agencies will be to there to help and facilitate and to some extent let go allowing the citizens more control.”