Inverness City Vision
The new Inverness City Vision sets out the overarching vision and aspirations for Inverness. It highlights several key themes that will guide the city’s development:
- the economy should be at the centre of everything
- strengthen the city centre
- a better connected Inverness
- a city for young people
- GreenNess
- build on our assets
- think tourism
- culture, pride and identity
- health and well-being
To advance these themes, an action-oriented approach was adopted. As a result, specific city zones were identified, including:
- A9 corridor (including Inverness Campus)
- Waterfront - Recovering the Scottish coastal edge
- Strategic centres – revitalising the city centre and developing an international learning, research and biomedical zone
- City cross – linking strategic green spaces
- Spider – restoring the city’s shape
- Quality neighbourhoods – changing perceptions
Five key action areas have been identified, representing essential linkages between these zones and those requiring targeted land use and transport planning. They include:
- The City Centre
- Longman
- Muirtown and South Kessock
- Ness-side
- Inshes and Raigmore
A significant challenge has been integrating these themes, zones, and action areas into the wider policies of the council and partner agencies. The core elements of the City Vision are embedded in the Highland-wide Local Development Plan (HwLDP), adopted in April 2012.
Additionally, the vision's aspirations will be realised through development briefs or masterplans for each action area. The first of these is the Inverness City Centre Development Brief, which identifies key development opportunities and environmental enhancements within the city centre. This finalised document was adopted as Supplementary Guidance to the HwLDP by the Planning, Environment and Development Committee in March 2013.