Extension to Premier Inn in Inverness gets the nod
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THE major expansion of a key ‘gateway’ hotel on the outskirts of Inverness has been given the green light by council officers.
The Premier Inn West site, close to the Caledonian Canal and Torvean Golf Course, will see its capacity increase from 76 bedrooms to 130.
The expansion will also feature a large increase in car parking capacity.
It would take the number of spaces up to 186 from the existing 103.
The move to green-light the extension comes despite concerns raised by Muirtown Community Council, which aired worries about the large increase in parking and its impact on traffic on the neighbouring A82.
It cited concerns that the increased traffic would exacerbate congestion when the nearby Caledonian Canal swing bridge is open. A second swing bridge over the canal is planned as part of the next phase of the city’s West Link project, which will help ease this problem, and the community council argued that work on the hotel’s extension should be held back until construction on the second bridge is under way, in order to minimise disruption.
Granting approval, the council said that Transport Scotland “raised no concerns”.
