Hopes for Inverness transport hub

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Highland and Islands green party also wants east side of the city to be preserved as a green belt

Published: 01/12/2009

The Highland and Islands Green Party wants a central transport hub to be created in Inverness and for the east side of the city to be maintained as a green belt.

This was revealed in their response to Highland Council’s development plans consultation.

Donnie Macleod, the Greens’ Westminster election candidate for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, said: “Our aim is to make public transport in and out of Inverness a far more attractive proposition.”

“In our response to the Highland Council’s recent development plans consultation, we have called for the existing bus, railway and library area of the city to be fundamentally redeveloped to create an attractive city centre with one transport hub.

“As well as enabling easy access to, and transfer between, all bus and rail services, this hub would provide information on all bus routes and other transport facilities throughout the city. Cycle storage and hire facilities would also be available.

“We welcome the Royal Mail’s willingness, in principle, to move its sorting office. This would provide plenty of space to implement our proposals.”

Other proposals for the city include rebuilding Inverness High School and refurbishing other schools as necessary, seeking finance for a canal and River Ness road crossing, building a railway station at the proposed Beechwood campus, dropping the intention to sell land for residential purposes and a network of cycle-ways and footpaths across the city

Mr Macleod added: “We see no need at all for developing the East Inverness area, as the Highland Council proposes to do in its Main Issues report, nor for upgrading the Southern Distributor Road or for an A96-A9 link road.

“We have recommended this area to comprise part of Inverness’s green belt, and for it to remain as agricultural land, with provision for allotments and also a public park and wildlife area – all of which the East Inverness area currently lacks.”