It’s been seven years in the making but a milestone has been achieved towards the creation of The Haven, a support centre for children and young people with multiple and complex needs in the outskirts of Inverness.
The Elsie Normington Foundation, the charity behind The Haven, has now lodged full plans for the centre before Highland Council.
Once the plans are approved, funders can step forward to top up the budget to the £4m needed to deliver the project.
With massive community and local support, £1.3m has so far been raised for The Haven.
Elsie Normington set up her foundation after caring for her son Andrew, who has a learning disability, and is now able to live independently.
Her charity helps aims to help parents, children and youngsters who need to socialise with their friends by building a specialist complex to provide these services for Inverness and the Highlands.
Mrs Normington said: “We’ve been working very closely with the Highland Council over the big flood prevention scheme which flows down the side of the site we’re going to build on, but it’s come to a conclusion now so we can put in the full plans and buy the site.”
Plans for the site include the construction of three two-bedroom respite houses, a community cafe and specialist play centres as well as a number of office spaces and meeting rooms, all around a landscaped community garden.
The preferred site is on Murray Road in Smithton, formerly the location of Culloden Court Care Home, which was destroyed by a fire in 2010 and has lain derelict ever since.
Mrs Normington said: “We’ve had huge public and public sector support for the project, and a couple of weeks ago we went down to the Scottish Parliament to present to the Highland MSPs.
“We got a really good response, they felt strongly that they should be supporting this project so I hope there will be good news in the future from that direction.
“It’s very heartening to have support right across the board and I’m very confident we’ll raise the funds in due course.
“It’s difficult to project a timescale, but if things go well we could be opening early in 2022.”