Progress welcomed on two major Inverness Development Briefs
Members of The Highland Council’s City of Inverness Area Committee have today (2 December 2014) welcomed progress made on the preparation of two key planning documents for areas on the east and west sides of Inverness.
Members have agreed to the contents of both the Draft Muirtown and South Kessock Development Brief and the final Inshes and Raigmore Development Brief.
Muirtown and South Kessock
The Draft Muirtown and South Kessock Development Brief has been informed by information and feedback gathered at community events known as charrettes that were jointly organised by Scottish Canals and Highland Council in February and April 2014.
The areas of Clachnaharry, South Kessock, Merkinch and Muirtown all feature within the draft brief which includes development opportunities and environmental improvements highlighted for areas such as the Local Nature Reserve and Muirtown Basin. The draft brief outlines options for transport, tourism, leisure, business, housing, environmental, commercial and educational infrastructure all of which will now be subject to further public consultation.
During January to February 2015 the Draft Muirtown and South Kessock Development Brief will go out to public consultation for a minimum of 6 weeks. The findings of the consultation will be reported back to elected members in Spring 2015 with the intention to adopt the development briefs in Summer 2015.
City of Inverness Area Leader, Councillor Ian Brown said: “This has been an excellent consultation process for the preparation of the Draft Muirtown and South Kessock Development Brief. In addition to thanking Council staff and partner agencies who attended and facilitated the charrettes I would particularly like to thank the many people in the local communities and community groups whose City-wide members took part and gave some excellent ideas to the planning process. We’ve been able to turn one idea into a bid for funding for environmental improvements so people have already made a difference.”
He added: “The future acceptance of the Development Brief and its regeneration priorities will be invaluable for the many community and development ideas detailed for the area and will help the Council to make decisions on planning and investment opportunities.”
Inshes and Raigmore
Members have also agreed a final version of the Inshes and Raigmore Development Brief which means it will now influence future planning applications in the area.
The area covered by the Development Brief includes land west of the A9 at Dell of Inshes, Inshes Retail Park, Police Scotland HQ (and land south of Police HQ), Beechwood Business Park, Raigmore Hospital, Lifescan and part of Raigmore and Raigmore Park.
Preparation of the final brief follows two public consultation periods held in May to July and September to October this year. The brief is also linked with the Transport Scotland A9/A96 Connections Study, and Highland Council’s Inshes Junction Improvement Phase 2 and flood alleviation schemes.
City Leader Brown said: “There was a significant level of engagement and comments received from local community councils, public agencies and individuals on the Inshes and Raigmore Development Brief. We welcome people’s input and have made a number of amendments to the brief to address matters raised.”
The Inshes and Raigmore Development Brief will now be submitted to Scottish Government Ministers for clearance and then The Highland Council’s Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee for adoption in early 2015.