Inverness Regeneration Starts With New Student Building

18th October 2012

Inverness is set to see the first major regeneration in the City Centre for a number of years following the granting of planning permission by The Highland Council for an 8-storey-high building for student accommodation. This £6m development is the first phase of a £30m re-generation project within the Rose Street and Farraline Park areas of Inverness City Centre.

The first building will accommodate 105 students in modern purpose built residential apartments, each with their own en suite facilities and private study areas. The developers, Inverness Properties Ltd, are delighted that the application was approved by the officials under Delegated Powers. Gary Johnston, for G H Johnston Building Consultants Ltd, said that working closely with The Highland Council Planning Authority and The Inverness Civic Trust meant that the building could be sensitively sited and designed, taking into consideration the wider scope of the regeneration area.

Shane Rodgers, Senior Architect with G H Johnston Building Consultants Ltd, commented that the design of the building was very much a team effort, with the Planning Authority appreciating the economics of a project like this and the client acknowledging the sensitivity of the design in this location on the edge of the Conservation Area. The building had been re-designed twice and we are all pleased with the end result.

Following the grant of the planning approval, Councillor Thomas Prag, Chairman of The Highland Council's Planning, Environment & Development Committee, met with Charlie Barbour of Inverness Properties Ltd, John West, Chairman of Inverness Civic Trust and Gary Johnston, lead Consultant for the project at the site in Rose Street, to the rear of the Phoenix Bar.

Councillor Prag welcomed the closer relationship between developers, designers, the council and the Civic Trust on this project. He said: "We are keen to work with applicants and others to refine projects at an early stage in the process and this is a good example of where it has worked. This is an important site on the edge of the conservation area and it was vital that it looks good, as well as providing an important boost to the vitality of this part of town."

John West commented that the Trust welcomed the opportunity to discuss new developments and to raise with developers any concerns which the Trust may have. As the result of discussions, the building was redesigned and a solution was reached that was acceptable to the Trust, The Highland Council Conservation Officer and Inverness Properties Ltd. The objectives of the Trust are conservation but also to encourage the development of our community. We wish to acknowledge the positive contribution of all parties in coming to an agreement acceptable to us all.

Charlie Barbour added: "Now that Planning Permission has been obtained we will continue to work very closely with the University of the Highlands & Islands and Inverness College to ensure that the first phase of student apartments are ready to meet the student intake in July 2014. Further phases will be released shortly thereafter, as and when the phased development of the new UHI campus at Beechwood nears completion. This is a large scale development for Inverness City Centre which will ultimately accommodate something in the region of 450 students and provide 2,500 sqm (26,000sqft) of modern purpose built retail units centred on a new civic space. We are very excited by this overall project and we are delighted that The Highland Council officials have engaged with us, as Developers, to help turn our vision into a reality whilst, at the same time, helping to create a stimulus for further economic re-generation within Inverness City Centre."