It’s time for Planning Ahead – our weekly round-up of the latest proposals lodged across the Highlands.
Plans have been approved to use the roofs of a brewery for solar panels.
Dornoch Academy want to install floodlights and make their games area available for the community to use.
But first, we start with a proposal to transform an empty retail unit in Inverness into a space to improve mental wellbeing.
SUBMITTED: New life for former Argos unit
New life could be breathed into former Argos unit in the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness.
Back in 2018, the retailer shut its city centre store in Unit 38 to focus on its unit at the Inverness Retail Park.
Since then, the unit has laid empty.
Now plans have been lodged for the unit to become the home of the Discovery College to tackle challenges including supporting mental health service provision.
It will be the Highland’s first college dedicated to helping individuals better understand well-being, mental health, and recovery.
The Inverness project will act as a walk-in centre for people with mental health and substance use issues.
But it will also provide general health advice to promote wellbeing and practice self-care with the help of specialists and trained peer support workers.
It will be led by the charity Centred, previously Birchwood Highland, working with HUG and other agencies.
Why is it needed?
One of the main drivers is the Highlands having a consistently higher rate of death by suicide than the Scottish average.
Mental health issues have also increased since the pandemic which exacerbated isolation issues.
David Brookfield, the charity’s group chief executive previously said: “It’s something we need to bring to Highland more so than other areas in the UK judging by suicide figures alone.
“Clearly we have a major problem with mental health in the traditional way people are dealt with through the NHS”.
“That’s not a criticism. But most cases referred to GPs focus on the use of medication rather than the approach we’re taking which is to help people understand their own mental health and do something about it.”
APPROVED: Solar power for brewery
Cairngorm Brewery has been given the go-ahead to install 244 solar pv panels.
The brewery is located within the Dalfaber Industrial Estate in Aviemore.
Therefore 120 solar panels will be put on the flat roof of the south building which houses a bottling plant.
Meanwhile a further 124 panels will be installed on the roof plane of the north building which currently houses a brewhouse and shop.
Work will be carried out by Biosus Energy.
SUBMITTED: Changes to games area at school
Dornoch Academy has applied for an change of use to their existing multi use games area to make it open for the community.
They also want to install floodlighting so the facility can be used in the evenings.
This application comes after planning officers said the multi use games area was permitted development for school use only, but any future community use and floodlighting would require a planning application.
Spotted any plans you think we should know about? Get in touch at north@ajl.co.uk
Conversation