A fresh application to renovate a historic B-listed building and build 30 new houses in Inverness has been launched.
Stratton Lodge has been in a state of ruin for more than a decade following devastating fires in 2011 and 2013.
Macdonald Hotels wants to renovate and develop the lodge to create new apartments at the site.
A new rear wing of cottages would sit close to Stratton Lodge and a further 17 detached and semi-detached houses would also be built on the grounds.
The developer initially submitted its plans for the site in late 2022.
A series of concerns locally about access to the site from a single-track road were raised and the application was withdrawn in December 2023.
What has changed?
The new application mentions discussions with Highland Council planners to alter the design.
As well as adapting the way the houses look, some have also been repositioned.
Improving the landscaping has also formed part of the changes.
But the most significant shift looks to be the road layout around it.
Previously, Culloden Community Council raised an objection about this.
It stated that the single-track road from Caulfield Road North would be unable to cope with the extra traffic.
That appears to have been taken on board.
The new plan sees access coming from a new road at the edge of the nearby Stratton housing development instead.
A transport assessment from ECS Transport Planning included with the new application says it now satisfies all policy requirements.
Local resident Paul Bole also raised environmental concerns. He stated that dozens of mature trees would be at risk of felling and damage if the development was approved.
Macdonald Hotels did not respond to requests from the Press and Journal to outline the differences between their old and new plans.
But last year, a spokesman said: “Our plans specifically protect the nearby Stratton Woods and the other mature trees on the site whilst restoring the lodge’s formal parkland aspect.”
Proposal will ‘sympathetically’ redevelop Stratton Lodge
In the papers, the developer says its plans will deliver a “substantial community benefit”.
A statement said: “Much needed housing is critical to the future of Inverness.
“It should be recognised that the advantages of redeveloping this long derelict and fire- damaged B-listed building and its woodland setting should be seen as a substantial community benefit.
It also outlines how the Stratton Lodge building will be protected.
The developer added: “The proposal will sympathetically and respectfully redevelop the lodge. It will retain the façade and partial building footprint along with sensitive housing development.
“Restoring the building and redeveloping the curtilage to accommodate residential dwellings will not only reinstate Stratton Lodge as a built and cultural heritage landmark for the area but also would create a distinct, high-quality place and space.”
The application will be assessed by Highland Council’s planning department.
If five or more objections are raised, it will be discussed and decided by a committee of councillors.
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