Go-ahead for new retail park in Inverness

A multi-million "bulky goods" park at Inverness Retail Park has got the green light, despite a former city provost’s bid to have it withdrawn from consideration by Highland Council.

Developer Inverness Estates wants to build 15 new stores, including a large DIY outlet, garden centre and small shops with parking for 740 cars.

The scheme could cost up to £40 million and create 200 permanent jobs.

The council’s area planning applications committee had deferred a decision on the project in October so more information could be provided.

It was invited by officers to grant permission in principle at a meeting in Inverness today.

However, committee member Councillor Bob Wynd (Culloden and Ardersier) called for the application to be withdrawn before any debate started because there were was no new details supplied and questioned why it was on the agenda.

However, the committee agreed to consider the application, which would represent a huge expansion of the current retail park and create up to 400 construction jobs, and gave consent in principle.

One of the conditions is that the developer returns with a detailed masterplan, infrastructure details and the roads layout proposals for consideration.

Inverness Estates had indicated construction could start in 2012 and take three years.

But Councillor Wynd, a former Inverness provost, said there was real concern about the bulky goods park in the local community.

"We have had problems with our road network, problems with flooding and various other issues," he said.

"The reason for asking for details is that in recent years decisions have been made in the Inverness area and unfortunately because the level of work our planning officers have, one or two things have not been fully sorted out."

Council planning officer David Mudie told the committee that if the scheme had been deferred again it was likely to have been taken out of the council’s hands and decided by Scottish Government ministers instead.

He said it was an outline application so the applicant could not provide the fine details but offered to take more information, when it is supplied, to councillors at ward business meetings before the scheme is considered by the committee again.

Culloden and Ardersier Councillor John Ford voiced his support for the bulky goods park and said it would provide much needed jobs for Inverness.

However, Inverness Central member Donnie Kerr said retail parks destroyed city centres in other parts of the country and claimed no new jobs would be created.

"All we are doing is setting up competition which will cost jobs," he said.

Tulloch Homes Group chief executive David Sutherland, one of four developers in the Inverness Estates group, watched the debate in the council chamber.

Nairn’s Narden and Aviemore-based Upland Developments are also involved in the consortium.

Westhill Community Council and Inverness Business Improvement District are both opposed to the new park.

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