Highland councillors stuck the boot into an Inverness housing development after it re-appeared at a planning committee meeting.
Springfield Properties’ proposal to build 24 new homes in the Drakies area of the city was approved by the Scottish Government in 2021 after an appeal that followed a lengthy planning wrangle.
But that approval came with the stipulation that the developer would not be able to start construction until it submitted a number of details to the council about things like how it will look and how the site will be accessed.
Those details have now been submitted.
A report from south area planning manager David Mudie recommended that councillors approve the latest application.
He said there are no major causes of concern.
But that is not how everyone feels.
‘Hands are tied’
The debate that came from Tuesday’s meeting of the south planning applications committee was a frustrating one for councillors.
As the conversation threatened to spin out of control, Mr Mudie was quick to remind them that planning permission for the development had already been granted.
He said: “The proposal is considered acceptable and it is recommended that the application be approved.”
Inverness Millburn councillor Isabelle MacKenzie summed the mood up when she said she felt their “hands are tied”.
“This is a very sad tale of something that shouldn’t have been allowed to continue along the path it did,” she said.
“My heart goes out to residents in the area. It’ll bring more congestion into an already congested area.”
Inverness South councillor Ken Gowans also expressed concerns about traffic.
The site is close to the Inshes roundabout, one of the city’s most notorious bottlenecks.
What did councillors decide to do?
The homes would be accessed from Old Perth Road on a stretch that currently sits between the edge of the Drakies estate and the Raigmore Motel.
The logistics of that access point have proved contentious.
Culcabock and Drakies Community Council has again objected to the latest plan. It stated that the road junction is of “poor design”.
Badenoch and Strathspey councillor Bill Lobban said the committee had not been given all the details they needed to make a decision.
“I find it inconceivable we could agree to something we have no knowledge of,” he said.
“Clearly, there are problems with the access. These arrangements should have been dealt with before coming back to this committee.”
After a brief break to consult with officers, the committee agreed they needed to approve the plans.
But with the condition that the developer would be expected to come back with more details about affordable housing provision, access arrangements and potential traffic issues.
