Process to deliver a major new sports centre for the east of Inverness is to launch later this year after Councillor Ken Gowans tabled a motion to the Inverness Committee that was unanimously accepted
Inverness councillors have unanimously supported a proposal to finally take forward a new major sports centre in the east of Inverness.
Councillor Ken Gowans tabled the motion, supported by Cllrs Glynis Campbell-Sinclair and Ian Brown but was developed further and signed by Cllrs Carolyn Caddick and Duncan MacPherson.
The agreed motion will see a cross party Inverness East Sports Facility Working Group set up supported council officers High Life Highland partners.
The first meeting will be held before the end of the year and the group will set its own terms of reference to reflect the powers delegated by the committee.
Its purpose will be to liaise with stakeholders and partners to analyse work already underway and to identify potential locations for the new facilities.
It will also have to identify what range of facilities to be delivered and progressing potential funding opportunities, including Sports Scotland.
The plans themselves should be embedded in the local development plan and city strategy and make representations to the council requesting that they be added to the Highland Council capital plan.
The working group will also report back to the Inverness committee on a regular basis to provide progress reports.
The proposals were motivated by concerns that in the next five years more than 5000 new homes, two new primary schools and one secondary school are already planned for the east of the city.
The committee formally recognised the “unprecedented scale” of housing developments combined with a “lack of amenities” for the population as well as the growing demand from people of all ages and abilities.
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