A new £23million sports centre proposed for Inverness would match anything in Europe councillors heard yesterday.
The “regional sports facility” will include an Olympic length cycle velodrome as well as facilities for indoor athletics, gymnastics, tennis and judo.
Councillors yesterday agreed funding of up to £150,000 to develop detailed designs and costings for the project, proposed for Bught Park.
However, some councillors raised concern about the potential cost of the project, with a cap placed on the potential design costs.
Consultant Brian Porteous was hired by the council to develop the plans, opting for a velodrome as the best option in sporting and economic terms for the main feature for the centre.
The cycling track will be raised, freeing space underneath for other facilities, such as tennis courts.
It is also anticipated that the space under the track could also be used as conference or entertainment space, with a capacity of up to 3,000.
Mr Porteous said: “What this will offer would be the equal of any facility in any similar community in Europe.”
The velodrome plans grew out of a proposal by north cycle campaigners HiVelo who had been considering building a smaller track themselves at Inverness Campus.
Chairman John MacMillan said that the development would be “absolutely extraordinary” for the sport in the Highlands, with talented athletes at present forced to travel to Glasgow or England for training.
Skye councillor Drew Millar said: “Coming from where I come from I would almost wish to move to Inverness.
“I really think this is a hugely exciting project.”
Councillor Jimmy Gray, Inverness Millburn, said: “I welcome this across the piece with absolutely no caveats whatsover.”
The council will pursue grant funding from sporting agencies, while the bulk of the money is to come from the proposed Inverness City Deal.
Council leader Margaret Davidson said that the authority needed to come up with major projects in order to finalise the deal.
She said: “This is a clear statement of the Highlands’ ambition and I think it is wonderful.”
However, several councillors said more information was needed about costs before it was further developed.
Councillor Ken Gowans, Inverness South, said that while he felt the facility would be a “huge boost”, he was concerned about the cost which he said “were certain” to rise higher than the projected £23.1million.
Councillor Graham Phillips, East Sutherland and Edderton, said he was “extremely concerned about operational costs” and was “uncomfortable” with taking on the centre’s running costs taken against the council’s other budget concerns.