Leader reaffirms Council commitment to Inverness West Link

The Leader of The Highland Council Councillor Drew Hendry has reaffirmed the Council’s total support for the route unanimously chosen for the £27.2 million Inverness West Link Road which links the Dores Road Roundabout to the A82 at Torvean and says he is looking forward to publication next month of a draft Development Brief for the Torvean and Charleston areas, which will highlight exciting opportunities for enhanced recreational and tourism provision as well as new homes.

Since the decision was taken on 1 March last year to proceed with Option 6 for the Link Road, he said the Council has made significant progress in the design of the route, which would pave the way for a planning application being presented by the Council in the late summer.

At the same time, planners will be presenting a report to the City of Inverness Area Committee on Monday 15 April setting out their vision for land use in the Torvean and Charleston areas, including opportunities for enhanced recreational and  tourism provision as well as new homes and businesses.

Before the planning application is submitted, he said there will be a further period of consultation with the public which will include inviting comments on the Draft Development Brief for the area.

The road plans and the draft Development Brief will be on public display at Kinmylies Church on Wednesday 17 April and Culduthel Christian Centre on Thursday 18 April.

The chosen route will follow a sweeping alignment along the river bank from Dores Road Roundabout to cross the River Ness at the Precast Yard/Weir.  Thereafter the link road will follow the toe of the Caledonian Canal embankment to a tandem canal bridge arrangement at Tomnahurich.

Councillor Hendry said: “I am delighted with the excellent progress we are making with the Inverness West Link Road.  We are on course to present a planning application in late summer.

“I am very pleased with the hugely positive response we are getting to the future development of the lands made available as a result of the route chosen for the road.  This ranges from sporting groups and tourism businesses to house builders and local businesses, who see the potential for the right mix of development in this iconic area of the city.

“We have identified the funding for the road in our capital programme. It is important to recognise that included in the costs are the “like for like” costs of replacing the displaced holes at Torvean Golf Course and the displaced recreational area at Canal Pitches.

“When we unveil the Draft Development Brief for the Torvean and Charleston areas, we will have indicative costs for the various enhancements. We will then work on identifying how these costs can be funded.”

Convener Councillor Jimmy Gray believes the construction of the Inverness West Link Road is vital for the growth of the city as it will ease congestion by keeping traffic away from the city centre and at the same time will open up the Torvean/Charleston area for eagerly awaited recreational and tourism expansion.

He said:  “We have a real chance here to provide Inverness with recreational facilities second to none in Scotland. The West Link is a priority that has the funding allocated by the Council.  We have been talking about this link for nearly 40 years. I hope people will get behind us to ensure it becomes a reality – and not a lost opportunity.”