Planned new community-use pavilion at world's first Highland games stadium in Inverness moves closer
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A new pavilion for community use is set to be built at the world's first Highland games stadium almost 160 years ago after it first opened.
The planned project at the historic Northern Meeting Park in Inverness aims to open up the green space more to the public.
Planning officers will recommend an application for a single-storey modern pavilion is given the go-ahead by Highland Council's south planning applications committee which meets on February 8.
The application, submitted by the council, also seeks permission to refurbish and alter the existing listed pavilion/grandstand.
Planners state: "The modest new pavilion will enable the public to access the park more freely than is currently the case for leisure and recreational use and the refurbishment of the existing grandstand will ensure its future as a tourist attraction and also provide facilities for sporting use through the changing rooms.
"No major alterations or extensions are proposed to the existing grandstand and the removal of the flat-roofed toilet blocks and reinstatement of doors to Ardross Street will return the building to its former state almost completely unaltered externally from its construction in 1864."
Related stories:
- World's first Highland games stadium deemed not fit for use
- Disappointment voiced by community-led group at park proposals
- New designs lodged in planned refurbishment of meeting park
The new pavilion is designed as a single-storey modern building, towards the north west corner of the park. It will be low in carbon emissions and have a solar panel roof.
It will provide a large multi-purpose space for community use plus administrative space, toilets and a small non-commercial style kitchen.
The space will be available for hire to local community groups and the building will provide back-stage facilities during larger events
It is part of a wider umbrella project to deliver improvements to the Northern Meeting Park, Bught Park and Inverness Castle with almost £20 million from the UK government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The council has earmarked £5.2 million for the Northern Meeting Park plans and £7.1 million to refurbish the Bught Park Stadium grandstand, and build an interactive museum of shinty and improved infrastructure for more large-scale outdoor events – all supported by ground source heating.
The plans have been the subject of a public consultation which began last summer.
