Enterprise Rent-a-Car lodges plans with Highland Council over vacant Inverness gateway site in Millburn Road
A long-vacant gateway site for people entering Inverness that was once being lined up for a new restaurant and hot food takeaways looks set for a different future.
For plans have been submitted to turn a site at 42 Millburn Road into a new car rental business instead.
If approved, Enterprise Rent-a-Car is looking to open a new outlet with space for almost 60 vehicles at the site, which sits between the Raigmore Interchange and Kwik Fit and has stood empty for years.
The land has been idle ever since the closure of a motorcycle showroom on the site.
And separate plans approved in 2016 to convert the buildings into two hot food takeaways, and build a two-storey glass fronted restaurant next to them, came to nothing.
Planning permissions usually lapse after three years, meaning those approvals have likely long since expired.
And now Enterprise Rent-a-Car's plans appear to be signalling a continuation of the land's former motoring past, rather than a food-based future for the site.
Under Enterprise's plans, the existing buildings will be retained and refitted, with the roof raised in places so that both are the same height. The refit will also result in large roller doors being fitted on part of the building to enable internal valet and wash & valet work to be carried out on cars before rental.
The building's remaining interior space would be a mix of manager and other office space, and a reception area for customers.
Cycle parking hoops would also be installed outside.
Elsewhere, the open ground to the north and east of the buildings will also be marked out with 58 designated parking bays, two of which will be for disabled motorists.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car already operates a site within Inverness at 4 Seafield Road, not far from Longman Road.
However, the firm has confirmed that the opening of the new Millburn Road site will not affect the Seafield Road one - as the second outlet is in response to growing demand for rentals in the region.
A spokesperson for Enterprise Rent-A-Car said: “Our planning application in Inverness is for a new location in addition to our existing site at 4 Seafield Road. This is due to increased business demand in the local area.”
It did not say how many new jobs might be created with the opening of a new, additional site.
