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New Highland tourism and leisure complex edges closer

Drumossie, where the 48-lodge tourism and commercial venture is proposed.
Drumossie, where the 48-lodge tourism and commercial venture is proposed.

Councillors have given their interim blessing for a tourism and leisure complex to be built on grazing land at Drumossie on the south-east side of Inverness.

Developers 3A Partnership Ltd won the support of the south area planning committee for lodges and apartments for commercial and leisure use, a reception area, marketing office and grounds maintenance accommodation.

An area to the west of the main development would be reserved for an amenity woodland area to provide parkland facilities to act as a “buffer” to the nearby A9.

The site is designated for business use within the local plan.

Two residents had objected on the grounds of safe access, absence of street lights, adverse impact on amenity, privacy, adverse impact on wildlife and potential noise nuisance.

Councillors approved a “change of use” application.

The development will be constructed in phases beginning with with up to 48 holiday lodges on the 13-acre site.

Several committee members said there was insufficient detail contained in the change of use application regarding the chalets and wider development.

Councillor Jim Crawford described the application as “premature.” His Inverness south ward colleague Thomas Prag agreed, describing the submission as “strange,” suggesting it should have been an application for “planning in principle.”

Planning officer Nicola Drummond informed members that the application was based on “an indicative layout.”

She said: “It is quite unusual just to come forward with a ‘change of use’ when the land is allocated more or less for the use that it has been proposed.

“I didn’t feel the indicative layout was necessarily appropriate and we needed more information to be provided, not least the design of the lodges and density of development relating to the lodges.

“It was on that basis that we felt the most appropriate way forward was to seek just the ‘change of use’ of the land to provide a tourist-related facility.”

Ms Drummond added that the detail of all the proposed facilities would have to be the subject of future planning applications relating to the development.