The Highland Council has welcomed progress on preparation to begin a second stage Heritage Lottery Fund bid to improve the Townscape Heritage of Inverness.

The project is expected to cost in the region of £4m, with £750,000 already having been pledged towards the project.

Early in 2014, the Council received a £1.67m Stage 1 pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Townscape Heritage programme. The Council was awarded a development grant of £109,000 to be used alongside a £35,000 Council contribution to develop the Stage 2 application.

In order to progress the stage 2 application, members have delegated powers to the Director of Development and Infrastructure, Stuart Black, in consultation the City Leader Councillor Ian Brown to agree the detail of the application and submit it to the HLF.

Work done to date has included the council hosting two public consultation days held 22 and 23 January. These are to be followed by another public consultation event on Tuesday 10 March.

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A report to Members showed over 150 people attended the stakeholder events in January.

Elements of the project that scored high in the feedback included:

• bringing back into use vacant city centre floor space

• refurbishment of historic buildings

• reinstatement of heritage features

• improvement or development of civic space on Academy Street.

City Leader Councillor Brown said: "The Inverness Townscape Heritage Project is a flagship example of the Council's commitments to support the Highland economy and the development of urban centres making the region an attractive place to do business. Members have given their approval for Council funding and demonstrated their support for the project with their attendance at a Members' workshop.

"I'd like to thank everyone who went to the consultation days held in January and hope that more folks will come again on Tuesday 10 March, from 14:00 till 20:00 in The Ironworks. These works and the progress also being made on the City Centre Development Brief all reinforce our commitment to improving the vibrancy of the city centre business and tourism economy."

Approval has been given by Members to a pilot project for Academy Street to strike balance between vehicles and pedestrians. £12,000 of Scottish Government funding will go towards improving pedestrian crossing points, removing metal railings and obstacles, and actions to improve pedestrian links between the bus station, car parks, Library, Old Town, Victorian Market and the river.

(IT/JP)