Plans have been revealed to build up to 3,000 new private and 'affordable' homes in Inverness.

The Draft Inverness East Development Brief was approved by Members of the Highland Council's City of Inverness Area Committee on Thursday, 30 November.

The document will now be published for public consultation and sets out plans for developers to deliver the new homes, along with a suite of community and employment uses.

In addition, councillors have also approved the Inverness City Development Brief to be referred to Scottish Ministers for formal adoption and then taken forward as part of the Council's Development Plan. This will replace the existing Inverness City Centre Development Brief adopted in March 2013.


Draft Inverness East Development Brief, Cllr Helen Carmichael, said: Councillors welcome these major steps forward which support the Council's Programme priorities under ‘A Place to Live' to provide affordable homes and development opportunities that promote resilient and attractive communities while regenerating our city."

Describing the Inverness East Development Brief, Scott Dalgarno, the council's Development Plans Manager, said: "Inverness East is the next major urban expansion of the city, and it is important that it is developed in a way that works for existing and new communities.

"We have involved local communities from an early stage to develop a Brief that prioritises walking; cycling and public transport and promotes creating great places to live, work and visit.

"Existing landscape features are incorporated into an ambitious master plan that identifies new facilities such as a district park, sports facilities at Inverness Campus, a new urban centre, two new primary schools and a high school, and high quality walking and cycling connections in addition to the proposed East Link road."

(LM)