Inverness café marquee plan at A9 North Gateway site wins approval from Highland Council
A successful café on the A9 on the approach to Inverness looks set to increase its customer seating to meet demand.
North Gateway, which is located in the former tourist information building on the northbound A9 carriageway shortly before the Milton of Leys slip road, has secured planning permission to erect an all-season marquee.
The marquee, which will measure nine metres by nine metres, is being sought to provide additional seating for its café customers.
In supporting information lodged with the application, applicant John Lockhart's agents said: "This marquee is to provide additional seating for this established business. The café business requires additional seating to ensure the business can operate appropriately."
They added that the intention is for the marquee to be used all year round depending on the weather, and would only be in use during the normal operating hours of the café, which are 9am to 5pm and "will not be altered by this development".
The new marquee will be erected immediately next to the building's northern gable and would be accessed via existing external doors on that elevation. The ground immediately to the north of the building is currently an open grassed area.
Granting permission, council planners said: "The proposed development will meet the needs of a growing business and potentially increase the services for residents nearby without causing detrimental impacts on natural and built environment.
"It is generally considered the proposed development is acceptable."
They added that although it is just 400 metres from a nearby scheduled ancient monument at Bogbain Wood - which contains a hut circle and field system - the "below-ground impacts [of the marquee] are limited and no mitigation is therefore considered necessary",
Historic Environment Scotland was consulted over the proposals and raised no concerns.
Council planners granted temporary permission for the marquee to be erected for five years in the first instance, at which point the "impact of the development on the visual amenity can be reassessed... to understand if the removal and restoration would be needed."
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