A new town for 10,000 people is to be built near Inverness Airport over the next 40 years.

Councillors upheld a decision to approve plans for the new town between Inverness and Nairn.

Highland Council's planning, environment and development committee yesterday voted 17 to three to support the plans, after officials told them there were no valid reasons to reject the new town.

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The Tornagrain development will see the construction of almost 5000 homes, with new schools and parkland.

The convener of the council, councillor Jimmy Gray, said: "This is a unique opportunity and one we need to grasp with both hands."

The Moray Estates Development Company first submitted a planning application for the new town in 2009.

The council has received 53 letters supporting and objecting to the plans. Some raised concerns including the loss of "prime agricultural land", concerns of the effect on tourism and claiming there was "no demonstrable need".

And several councillors raised objections publicly, with some saying that there were not enough jobs locally to sustain the development.

(NE)