Plans for new Inverness hotel on the site of the Ironworks could be back on track; Kirkwood Homes also pushing ahead with plans for 800 homes on the site of the former Fairways golf course, with Highland councillors to consider proposals next week
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A proposal by Bricks Hotels to build a new 162-bedroom Marriott hotel in Academy Street were thrown out at the end of last year by members of Highland Council’s south planning applications committee.
Councillors agreed with planning officers’ assessment that the hotel’s design would have a significant adverse impact on the Riverside Conservation Area.
Inverness Central councillor Emma Roddick called it “too large, too high and too blocky” for its location.
Despite the negative reaction, the developer suggested they might resurrect plans which have already been approved to create student accommodation on the plot – which would have stood even taller than the hotel.
But they now seem to have decided there is mileage in trying the hotel idea again as they have submitted a proposal of application notice (PAN) to councillors which will be considered on Tuesday.
Essentially a notice of intent ahead of a full planning application, it gives councillors the chance to discuss the idea in broad terms, and point out any difficulties or specific issues they believe developers will need to address in their full application.
A spokesman for Bricks Hotels said: "We are on an early journey to deliver a new hotel design for the location, addressing the issues of the previous refusal and seeking satisfactory solutions.
“Preliminary discussions are being held with the council’s Design Review Panel to inform and progress our new design strategy.
“We have not yet reached the stage of submitting a full planning application, but hope to do so in the near future.”
At next week’s meeting councillors will also consider a PAN from Kirkwood Homes which wants to build 800 homes on the site of the former Fairways golf course in the Slackbuie area of Inverness, along with a new primary school and community campus, commercial space and woodland.
Kirkwood, together with Fairways Inverness Ltd, submitted proposals more than a year ago, seeking to have them included in Highland Council’s development masterplan as it was being revised, though it was labelled as “not supported” by the council at that time.
Local councillor Ken Gowans has already criticised the scheme, accusing developers of being “tone deaf” to the public’s wishes.
Allan Rae, land director at Kirkwood, said: “Since announcing our proposals for up to 800 new family homes at Fairways, we have welcomed feedback from members of the public and importantly the interest from potential home buyers in Inverness.
"We are fully committed to investing in Fairways.
"The city is of vital importance to the economy in the Highlands and we’re seeing a consistent level of demand in the housing market from people looking to move or relocating within the city.
“Fairways presents a great opportunity for us to work with commercial partners to deliver new business and leisure opportunities, building on and improving the existing offer in the city, an importantly creating new jobs.
"The construction phase of our development at Fairways will create up to 150 jobs with an investment of around £200 million.
"This is particularly encouraging given it is such a critical time for the economy due to the impact of the virus.
“With Inverness being such a desirable place to live we are keen to explore new opportunities to invest.”
