Controversial plans to create three new restaurants at a busy Inverness shopping park have gone back to the drawing board after planning officials recommended they be refused.
The Hercules Unit Trust, which owns the Inverness Retail Park on the A96 Inverness-Aberdeen road, had submitted plans to convert a large vacant store at the end of last year.
It was proposed to turn the unit into three separate restaurants. Three well-known names were lined up to take on the properties – Frankie and Benny’s, Nando’s and TGI Fridays.
But the plans have been withdrawn and this week councillors at the south planning applications committee were told that the company has entered into pre-application consultations with planners, as if to start again.
According to documents on the council’s planning website, planning officials had recommended that the proposals be refused under delegated powers because they did not comply with the development plan.
They also said that the plans did not comply with the council’s policy on promoting the city centre.
Several businesses based in the city centre had objected to the proposals, stating that they would jeopardise plans to expand the Eastgate Centre with new shops, restaurants and a cinema.
Inverness Estates, who have been previously been refused permission for creating restaurant space at the same park, also objected to the plans.
The vacant unit formerly housed the electronics company Comet, which shut several years ago.
The Restaurant Group, which operates Frankie and Benny’s says it will employ 60 people, while TGIs claims that 80 jobs will be created at their restaurant, which represents a £1million investment.
The Hercules Unit Trust could not be contacted for comment.