It’s time for Planning Ahead – a round-up of the latest proposals lodged across Inverness.
There’s a major housing development in the pipeline for the outskirts of the Highland capital.
A contamination assessment of a city supermarket will be required before plans to bring a drive-thru coffee shop there become a reality.
And more letters of objection and support have come in for the plan to bring a community sauna to a public park.
But first, let’s take a look at the latest with major plans for Inverness Campus.
Inverness Campus proposal to be debated
Highland councillors will be given the chance to discuss the major development in the pipeline for Inverness Campus.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has lodged a planning application notice for a hotel and 750,000 sq ft of “commercial floorspace”.
The proposal is denoted as phase two of Inverness Campus.
According to the plans, it will be “substantially bigger” than phase one.
All going well, construction could begin as early as 2026.
But the work won’t be completed until the A9-A96 East Link Road – which currently has no expected construction date – is built.
The matter has included on the agenda for next week’s south planning applications committee.
Councillors will be given the chance to bring any possible concerns to the applicant’s attention on April 2.
Drive-thru plan needs contamination assessment
A contamination assessment must be carried out before a bid to bring a drive-thru coffee shop to the city centre moves forward.
Motor Fuel Group wants to build the drive-thru within the grounds of the Morrisons supermarket on Millburn Road.
The site has a historic use as railway land and later, as an auction mart. The current supermarket development was granted planning permission in 1999, just prior to contaminated land regulations coming into force in 2000.
There has therefore been no contamination investigation on the land and this now needs to take place before any further development is allowed.
A total of 45 parking spaces would be axed to make way for the venture, accompanied by an exclusive EV charging zone.
The development is the second of its kind to be lodged by the firm in the last few months, with plans for a similar venture in Inverurie.
Last year, bosses struck a deal with the supermarket giant to take ownership of hundreds of their petrol stations.
Community sauna continues to divide opinion
A number of objections have rolled in from local residents to plans to bring a community sauna experience to Inverness for the first time.
As the Press and Journal has reported, a company called Community Sauna Highland has submitted proposals to Highland Council.
The sauna would be based in the city’s Bellfield Park.
Plans show the sauna could fit up to 26 people inside for people seeking “relaxation and rejuvenation”.
The sauna would be heated by an electric sauna stove, with an option for ladling water to create the signature steamy experience.
Community Sauna Highland’s Pippa Hembry said sauna bathing has been a “game changer” for her health and wants other in Inverness to experience it.
But there have now been six objections made against the project, with two letters of support.
Bellfield Park resident John Finnie outlined several concerns about the development, including noise, loss of green space and the impact on local businesses.
He said: “The implications of ceding public, green space, particularly an area Highland Council has clearly designated on their directory as a ‘play area’, whether to a commercial interest or not, is not something that should be taken lightly and could a create a council-wide precedence.”
Neighbour Anne Jackson added: “Large groups of people, children and adults, corralled into a small, partially outdoor area will make a disturbance, irrespective of sauna etiquette, or host presence.
“This is not an appropriate business to run close to residential properties, especially if there are better, more suitable sites.”
Marta Kedziora has defended the plans, however.
She said: “This project has the potential to bring significant benefits to our community, fostering well-being, social connection, and economic growth.”
400 new houses on the edge of Inverness
A plan to build 400 new homes at Milton of Culloden will be debated by Highland councillors next week.
Springfield Properties has applied for planning permission in principle for the site, which sits close to the A96.
25% of the 400 units would be classed as affordable homes.
A report from planning officer Christine Macleod has recommended that members of the council’s south planning applications committee grant planning permission in principle on April 2.
However, there have been nine objections to the plans – including from the local Culloden Community Council.
The group is concerned about the environmental impact, the loss of agricultural land for farmers and increasing the strain on the area’s already suffering services.
A statement from the community council said: “The excessively high demands
on the medical, social, and educational infrastructure within the Culloden
community are already known about, so this application to increase the number of
houses at this time is an additional burden that the community will not be able to
cope with.
“From existing housing developments, the secondary school roll is already forecast to be over capacity within the next 10 years, despite a planned extension.
“The school cannot cope with any more additional housing.”
Spotted any plans you think we should know about? Get in touch at north@ajl.co.uk
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