It’s time for Planning Ahead – a round-up of the latest proposals lodged across Inverness.
Environmental concerns have prompted an objection from Highland Council to plans for a drive-thru coffee shop in the city centre.
More letters of objection and support have come in for efforts to bring a community sauna to a public park.
And the Swedish furniture giant Ikea is plotting a new presence at a city retail park.
But first, let’s take a look at BT’s plans to replace city centre phone boxes with something more modern.
‘Monolith’ street hubs rejected by Highland Council
BT’s plans to scrap a number of city centre phone boxes and replace them with 10ft-high advertising screens has been rejected.
The “street hubs” are being touted as a high-tech replacement for derelict phone boxes across the country.
The chances of them being introduced in Inverness were hit by a pair of objections from Highland Council’s own transport planning and historic environment teams.
A statement from the historic environment team said it objected to all three of the hubs BT was planning.
It read: “The principle of these large monoliths, the primary impact of which is as physically obtrusive slabs with visually obtrusive digital advertising screens on either side, is not acceptable within the conservation area.
“These structures, and their digital advertising screens, are entirely inappropriate.
“BT have clearly failed to consider the impacts upon the heritage context, and
any public benefits are entirely outweighed by the excessive scale and inappropriate nature of these installations.
“All three locations will also adversely affect the setting of adjacent listed
buildings.”
A refusal notice signed by Highland Council planning manager David Mudie said: “The proposed street hub will have an adverse impact on the historic character and appearance of the Inverness (Riverside) Conservation Area due to its location, large scale and design.”
Sauna continues to divide opinion
The number of letters of support for a community sauna in Inverness now narrowly leads the number of objections.
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.
There have been now been 12 objections made against the project and 13 letters of support.
Bellfield Park resident Sheila Watt listed nine different reasons in her objection. She said: “[Bellfield Park] is mainly a children’s play park and on Highland Council land in a conservation area and so is not appropriate.
“There would be far worse issues re: parking and traffic congestion around the park and on Island Bank Road
“The upstairs rooms in homes such as mine would directly overlook the sauna.
“There must be many more appropriate sitings across the Inverness area for such a development.”
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.
In response to the objections, a statement from Ms Hembry and Fergus Weir have outlined why they had picked the location they had.
They added: “Our aim is to make sauna possible for Inverness, close to where they live, so that they might incorporate this into their week the same way you might a fitness class or a social club.
“Therefore we have looked for a central location in Inverness.”
Major objection to drive-thru coffee shop plan
Highland Council’s transport team has thrown a potential spanner in the works for a potential new drive-thru coffee shop in Inverness city centre.
Motor Fuel Group (MFG) unveiled plans to add a store within the grounds of the Morrisons supermarket on Millburn Road earlier this year.
MFG struck a huge deal with Morrisons in April 2024 when they acquired 337 of the supermarket’s petrol forecourts and another 400 associated sites for £2.5bn.
Since then, the company has been lodging planning applications all over the UK that look very similar to the one we’re seeing in Inverness.
The council’s transport planning team said it had no objection to the principle of a new coffee shop and takeaway at the site.
But it has objected to the drive-thru element.
Planning officer John Kelly said: “Given the current declared climate emergency, national and local planning, transport and environmental policies are committed to long-term greenhouse gas emission reductions and a transition towards a low carbon society.
“This includes the Scottish Government’s commitment to a 20% reduction in car
kilometres by 2030, as set out in the updated 2020 Climate Change Plan.
“A drive-thru facility is, by its very nature, a car-based development and can only go against that national commitment.”
Developers say the venture was masterminded to “redevelop underutilised areas” of the vast car park, and create employment while minimising disruption to the store’s day-to-day operations.
A statement cited in the design plans reads: “The coffee shop drive-thru will be single storey and contain an internal seating area, counter, customer toilets, drive-thru hatch, back of house facilities kitchen/preparation area and staff room.
“The site layout has been driven by a desire to redevelop underutilised areas of the existing Morrisons car park, by incorporating a complementary use which can not only support linked trips but can operate independently of the superstore.”
What else is happening?
The owners of popular bakehouse Xoko are hoping to transform the Inverness Cathedral Hall.
Xoko owners Tristan Aitchison and Fernando Basaldua Bazaldua say they will make a “significant” investment in renovations.
Ikea has lodged plans to install pick-up lockers at a city supermarket.
The Swedish furniture giant wants to put them in the Tesco car park at the Inshes Retail Park.
And lastly, Shahid Yusaf has applied to build a house in the grounds of a large property in Cradlehall.
The property will have three bedrooms and be located within the grounds of Viewfields on Caulfield Road North.
Spotted any plans you think we should know about? Get in touch at north@ajl.co.uk
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