Inverness residents will get the chance to quiz a developer on concerns about plans to build a new city suburb at a public meeting next weekend.
The project manager heading-up the 2,500-home scheme at Stratton will outline the firm’s vision and answer questions at the event at Smithton Church on Saturday, June 25.
The Press and Journal revealed last month that the ambitious scheme had been brought back to life by developer Hazledene Inverness, and that work could get under way early next year.
It is earmarked for almost 200 acres of land between the A96 Aberdeen road and the communities of Culloden and Smithton, with 400 homes to be built in the first phase.
A new town centre would also be created, as well as a retail park, a primary school, health centre, park-and-ride facility and hotel.
However, community leaders have raised concerns about the impact of the development on local roads and schools.
Mark Shaw, chief executive of the Hazledene Group, said yesterday that project manager Brian Clarke would be on hand to address the concerns at next week’s meeting.
“He will be able to answer questions around our current plans, and will reiterate that the new development is designed to integrate with the existing community, and provide investment in infrastructure and facilities which will benefit all,” he said.
Smithton and Culloden Community Council chairman David McGrath has helped organise the consultation event, which will run from 11am to 3pm.
He said: “There are a few issues and obviously we are going to flag up some of the problems that are going to arise from the restarting of the Stratton project.
“Number one, as far as the community is concerned, is that we need a new primary school. Who pays for it? I don’t know.
“Second is the road access, which they have got to sort out with Transport Scotland.
“Then, in the original planning consent there was a 500 space park-and-ride and that was suggested to go adjacent to the existing A96.
“But with Transport Scotland’s new A96 development option, the proposed site for that is now going to be taken up by the new road.
“There are a lot of issues there where we really need answers before they can do anything.
“They are saying it’s only 400 houses to start but that’s 400 too many if we haven’t got school capacity.”
