The Highland Council has agreed to grant planning permission in principle to Inverness Estates Ltd for a mixed use development to form a major urban extension to Inverness, including a new town centre, housing and commercial uses.

The permission is subject to 62 conditions and a legal agreement committing the developer to make contributions to the costs of infrastructure.

The application site at Stratton and East Seafield is located east of Inverness, approximately 300 metres south of the Moray Firth at its closest point and immediately south of the A 96 trunk road between Inverness and Aberdeen.

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Proposed is a major scale mixed use development of 78.8 hectares of greenfield agricultural land to be delivered in four phases over the next 15 years, which would include housing, food retail, non-food retail, offices, restaurant, car showrooms, health centre, church, schools, leisure park, park and ride and a hotel.

The Council received five objections to the application.

Members noted that the application was a departure from the Development Plan but agreed there material considerations to justify granting permission, not least the economic benefits to the city.

After almost four hours of deliberation and debate, Councillor Ian Ross, Chairman of the Planning Environment and Development Committee, proposed the successful motion to approve the application, subject to the 62 conditions and the need for a legal agreement over developer contributions.

His motion won 38 votes against an amendment by Councillor Glynis Sinclair that the application be deferred until consultation was completed on the Highland-wide Development Plan, which attracted 10 votes.

An amendment by Councillor Robert Wynd to refuse the application was earlier defeated by Councillor Sinclair’s amendment.

(GK)