Plans for the new Centre for Health Science at Inverness Campus were approved by Highland councillors yesterday, albeit with reservations about resulting traffic pressures.
The building will house NHS Highland’s ophthalmology service and a 28-bed elective care centre with four operating theatres; a research and innovation centre for the University of the Highlands and Island’s (UHI) School of Health, and for Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE), laboratories and office space for commercial enterprises.
The two-storey building features a clinical area in the central main section with two wings extending out from the northern section housing the patient zones and two smaller wings on the southern section hosting the health innovation and research hub.
The building will face onto the central avenue running through the campus complex.
High quality design, finishes and landscaping are promised by the developers with the intention of providing ‘a rich and stimulating environment for people and wildlife.’
It has a 245 space car park, and the potential for 370 ‘person trips’ at peak time according to traffic planners.
Councillors agreed the current existing traffic pressure in the area would only worsen.
South planning chairman Jimmy Grey said: “Transport is of concern. The gap between now and when we’re able to get an east-west link to join up the A96, A9 and A82  means there is a huge and growing pressure which we need to look closely at to see how we can manage it.”
Planning officers said conditions would be placed by Transport Scotland and Highland Council transport planning setting out mitigation measures and operational measures for car parking areas.
