WATCH: Scottish Government minister Tom Arthur praise Inverness strategies as vital to funding after MP Drew Hendry invited top public and private sector leaders to a roundtable event to discuss the Inverness strategies
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The existence of twin strategies for Inverness with a “clear vision” makes funding for vital infrastructure projects much more accessible, according to MSP Tom Arthur, the minister for public finance.
He was speaking after a major gathering of some of the most prominent business, public sector, third sector enterprise leaders in the Highlands to discuss the twin visions for the future of Inverness.
Among them were bosses from Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, High Life Highland, Hi-Trans, and the Federation of Small Businesses.
The event was arranged by MP Drew Hendry who, through the Inverness Futures group, helped develop the Inverness 2035 vision which has been adopted by Highland Council and will be integrated into its own strategy.
According to Mr Hendry the dozens of top level attendees marked a major milestone – the “launchpad” – for those pushing the strategies forward to develop the city long-term and underlined the importance of the gathering.
Related Stories:
- Inverness councillors agreed to integrate two ambitious visions for the city paving the way for extensive consultation that could herald the biggest changes in generations
- One City, One Vision: Ambitious aim to make Inverness carbon neutral and have the lowest air pollution of any Scottish city while making active travel the 'preferred' mode of transport
Inverness strategies are the key to funding
None more so than Mr Arthur, who’s ministerial portfolio also includes planning and community wealth, making his presence a potentially vital contact in the Scottish Government and therefore for making the case for funding.
Mr Arthur said: “I think it's always the case for all investors, not just the government, but the private sector, the community sector when you have a strategy and you have a clear vision that provides certainty and it provides something to measure against as well.
“So what this vision, this strategy provides is that collective buy-in from the partners who are going to be keen to deliver on that and be key to delivering that so that helps you provide certainty.
“Of course, it builds upon existing commitments through the city and region deal that was signed a number of years ago.”
Launchpad for a new Inverness vision
For Mr Hendry it was vital to bring those who will be essential to implementing the strategies together in the same room, saying: “I think today has been the launchpad for the vision, the Inverness 2035 project.
“We've done a lot of work across politics, making sure that it has been supported by all parties and none, across business, across the agencies, across the groups and the third sector and charities.
“And now, what we have is the ability after we brought everybody together.
“We've had the Scottish Government here in the room to actually look at how we now take this forward into the future and that really gives us a massive opportunity to make sure we're making the right kinds of decisions for the city.
“A city that has never had a plan since it became a city in 2000. To decide about becoming a city rather than a town and to build the future that we need up to 2035 and beyond, making the right decisions for people who live, work and interact here."
He added: “And of course not only for the city, but all of the Highlands.”
'More of this sort of thing'
One of the members of the Inverness Futures Group, Scot Gardiner, chief executive of Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, said: “The more joined-up we are communication-wise and project-wise the better.
“The thing I said to Drew and Highland Council chief executive Donna Manson, and various others since I have come to Inverness is that everyone seemed to be in silos.
“Not everyone knew what anyone else was doing and I think that the big take away for me for this project, since I've been involved in the futures group, is breaking down the silos and joining-up ideas.
“Because you can work better if everything's more joined up and it doesn't matter what city you're in but I think that's the biggest thing for me. If the city is thriving and the region is thriving then it's good for all of us.
“And so, I just think we need more of this, instead of the Father Ted thing ‘down with this sort of thing’ it should be ‘we need more of this sort of thing.’"
