Members of the Highland Council's City of Inverness Area Committee have voiced their support for the local authority's review of its plans for two major projects for the region.

The Committee supported plans for both the Inverness West Link scheme and the Sports Hub/Torvean Golf Course.

The Highland Council carried out a major consultation exercise regarding the two major developments and listened to comments made by sporting groups and individual members of the public in updating the proposals.

In April and May of this year, more than 500 people attended the consultation events.

Earlier this week, progress on the developments was reported to the City of Inverness Area Committee at Inverness Town House.

At the meeting, members:

• approved the finalised Torvean and Ness-side Development Brief
• agreed and recommend the Inverness West Link scheme changes at the full council meeting on 5 September
• agreed that the finalised Brief be treated as a material planning consideration for development management purposes and completion of procedures towards its intended adoption as Statutory Supplementary guidance at the Planning, Environment and Development Committee on 6 November 2013
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• agreed to recommend to The Highland Council that a revised layout plan for the Inverness West Link Road is taken forward for use in the Detailed Planning Application and the Compulsory Purchase Orders for the scheme
• noted the comments received following the public consultation on the Torvean Golf Course and Sports Hub and that as a result of these comments the scope and extent of the scheme has expanded
• approved the expansion of the scheme to cover a larger area, and Planning in Principle Application for "Torvean Golf Course, Sports Hub, Kilvean Cemetery Extension and Parkland".

Changes will be presented to the next full council meeting on Thursday 5 September for approval, and paving the way for early submission of a planning application for the road.

Enhancements made to the Sports Hub/Golf Course and its boundaries following feedback from the public are deemed significant enough to require a new 12-week period of consultation with the public. The development brief has been changed to incorporate:

• the enlargement of the sports hub and deletion of a mixed use development area
• a golf practice area
• an area for the expansion of Kilvean Cemetery which is close to its capacity
• the provision of four sports pitches at a different location to that previously shown.

It is proposed to seek planning permission for the Sports Hub/Golf Course in mid-November, with consideration of the application expected by March 2014. The revised timescale should not affect the proposed start date of the West Link of 2015.

City of Inverness Area Committee Leader Councillor Ian Brown said: "The West Link developments will hugely improve traffic flow, open up development and maximise sporting and recreational facilities for the people of Inverness. The investment the Council has committed to Inverness demonstrates the huge importance of the city to the economy and wellbeing of the Highlands."

(JP/CD)