New Eastgate Shopping Centre extension plans welcomed
A multi-million pound expansion of the Eastgate shopping Centre in Inverness has been given a warm welcome by councillors.
But the fate of a commemorative clock overlooking Falcon Square has left some feathers ruffled.
The development, featuring an eight-screen cinema to seat 1,100 people, will eat into a fifth of the square but planners say improvements to the open space will more than make up for the loss.
The revamp will also mean a cash boost for the Academy Street regeneration scheme, with the Eastgate Centre committing £160,000 to this project..
Members of Highland Council’s South Area Planning Committee were happy with the scheme but a debate over where best to reposition a specially-designed clock left some councillors looking cross.
Inverness Central councillor Richard Laird was adamant that the future setting of the timepiece, which was donated to the city in 2009, should be decided by Inverness Central’s four ward members.
Council planner Nicola Drummond said the developer felt the clock would look good on the shopping centre’s bridge that goes across Academy Street.
Mr Laird objected, saying it would only be seen by queuing motorists.
There was even a suggestion that a representative of the three local Rotary clubs — Inverness, Loch Ness and Inverness Culloden - who donated it to mark the centenary of Rotary International - should have a say in the positioning of the clock.
The matter finally went to a vote and members voted in favour of setting up a clock committee consisting of the four Inverness Central ward councillors together with committee chairman Jimmy Gray and Councillor Prag, planning, development and infrastructure committee chairman.
He was confident the new Falcon Square public plaza plans would look as impressive as they appear on paper.
He said: "The new design which we’ve seen stands out from what exists there at the moment. It should be something that makes a statement on its own and I think it is exciting,"
