Edinburgh-based contractor P1 Solutions is to begin building the second phase of a new public park in Inverness.

The £580,000 scheme at Inshes District Park will be delivered across a 6.3-hectare site set in rising ground between Stevenson Road and Inshes Road. Work will get underway on Monday, 19 February

Features include building an entrance plaza that will form a gathering place at the access from Stevenson Road, a 20-space car park, areas of open space and paths that will meander through the site from the entrance plaza to the existing footbridge over Inshes Road.

Funding for the project has come entirely from developer contributions collected over the past number of years as well as active travel funding from SUSTRANS.

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Completion is scheduled for 22 June 2018. Once finished, a separate planting and landscaping contract is expected to take place in the planting season of 2018/19.

The Highland Council said it will be erecting advance signage next week to let the public know that there will be no access through the site during the construction period and the contractor will be responsible for warning signage while work is underway.

Inverness South Ward Councillors - Carolyn Caddick, Ken Gowans, Andrew Jarvie and Duncan Macpherson – said: "Since the first phase north of Stevenson Road was completed in 2012 the Park has become a very valuable asset to the local community and is very popular with cyclists, walkers and families.

"We're delighted that work is due to start in a few weeks' time as phase 2  will extend and greatly enhance the green open space in this fast developing area of the city."

Inshes Community Association (ICA), who lease the park from the Council, spent £350,000 developing and funding facilities for phase 1.

ICA Chair Thomas Prag said: "The ICA have been working closely with the council to get phase 2 open for business, so we can't wait to see the diggers start. We can now get on with developing some exciting new facilities for Inverness."

(LM)