Councillors have approved plans for a specialist multi-million pound centre offering care for bone, muscle and eye conditions.
A 24-bed elective care centre will offer knee, hip and cataract surgery alongside a full range of ophthalmology outpatient services.
A planning application was submitted last year by NHS Highland, representing a major milestone in the project.
However, delays have resulted in the centre’s estimated operational date for late next year being pushed back 12 months.
The cost of the centre has also risen dramatically from its initial estimate of £16million to £41.3 million – an increase of more than 150%.
NHS Highland has said work to clear the site has started ahead of the anticipated construction, should planning permission be granted yesterday.
There was unanimous approval at yesterday’s south planning committee.
The health authority said the care centre represents an “exciting project” and will go a long way to “improve the quality of care and facilities” as well as “providing extra capacity for the north of Scotland”.
SNP Councillor Ken Gowans said he was delighted this has been approved.
He added: “This is a major investment in the Inverness Campus site, it is very welcome as enhances the campus development and provides high quality employment opportunities in the health and innovative industries in Highland.”
Access to the site will be via the main campus access off the B9006 and the main public entrance to the building is located to the north, along with the main car parking area.
In total 149 parking spaces will be provided, 129 to the north of the building, including 12 disabled spaces, and a further 20 spaces located along the western boundary of the service yard.
Balfour Beatty will be in charge of construction.
Earlier plans had included a multi-disciplinary life sciences centre, but Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the University of Highlands and Islands propose constructing this on a separate site at the campus in the future.
