The Green political party’s local leaders believe a shift in focus away from the Bught area will be crucial in reducing car journeys and carbon emissions across the city.

When contacted by the Courier, High Life Highland (HLH), which runs all of Highland Council’s sporting facilities, responded by offering to meet the Greens to discuss the matter.

But the charitable company’s spokesman stressed that there were no development projects formally set in motion for expansion at the Bught, where High Life also runs the Inverness Leisure sports and aquadome complex.

In June, Highland Council approved the findings of a joint council and Highland and Islands Enterprise plan for upgrading dated facilities at Bught Park.

The improvements would be dependent on securing cash from a successful UK Government Levelling Up Fund bid.

Among options under consideration are upgrading and extending the Bught stadium with improved changing facilities and the creation of a full-size floodlit synthetic grass shinty pitch.

There is also an aspiration within the local plan to create an indoor tennis, athletics and martial arts facility as part of a wider strategic sports plan for the Highlands.

As recently reported, plans are also being developed to create a new cycle sports complex, including an indoor velodrome beside Inverness Retail Park – the first of its kind in the Highlands – with organisers, the north charity HiVelo planning for an autumn 2023 opening.

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Given growth in population to the east of the city, and poor public transport servicing the Bught, the Greens believe future facilities would be better located on the Beechwood Campus in East Inverness.

The matter was raised by local Highlands and Islands Green Party leaders Chris Ballance and Debra Nicolson in a letter sent to Steve Walsh, chief executive of High Life Highland, last week.

In a statement, they said: “The main population expansion areas are in the east of the city. Rather than creating extra demand for cross-town traffic, it would be better to develop a second site, in the east.

"Beechwood Campus has easy access by walking, cycling and public transport, and is close to the growing centres of population.

"We very much support High Life Highland's plans to improve access to sporting facilities, but suggest they should review and revise their plans, and consider siting these new facilities in the east of the city."

The Greens' letter to Mr Walsh read: “From an environmental perspective, Bught Park is difficult to access by public transport.

“The current population of Westhill and Culloden is around 12,000. In addition, Tornagrain is scheduled to have a population of 10,000 or more, plus there are the new and large housing developments coming on stream at Stratton and Croy.

“(Expansion at Bught) seems to run directly counter to climate change policies, and in particular to The Highland Council’s ‘Carbon Neutral Inverness by 2025’.

“Furthermore, the daily social and economic costs of travelling time are already significant for many visitors, and these will grow with additional demand.”

A spokesperson for HLH stressed that any major infrastructure for new sport and leisure facilities would primarily be led by colleagues in Highland Council, rather than High Life Highland.

He said: “HLH’s role in any new development would be engaging with partners and communities and to provide professional input from an operational aspect.

“To our knowledge, there have been no formal projects put in place for investment in sport and leisure, other than a proposal for a 3G sports pitch at the Beechwood campus.

“While we do not dispute the need for easier and quicker-to-reach facilities for those in the east of Inverness – as well as the fight against climate change – we are not aware of any major infrastructure projects for leisure facilities in place.

“There are many factors to consider, therefore HLH are in continuing discussions with sportscotland to encourage them to bring further investment to the Highlands.”

The meeting between the Greens and High Life Highland is set to take place this week.