£25m backing for Highlands campus out-of-town plan

Published on Thursday 17 September 2009 22:05

AN EDUCATION campus for the Highlands described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity has won a £25 million funding boost.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has agreed to fund a new campus on the outskirts of Inverness. It is hoped the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Inverness College and the Scottish Agricultural College will all have a presence.

The new 120 acre site at Beechwood Farm was bought by HIE for 5.4m earlier this year.

Concerns have been raised previously that local traders could suffer if the existing Inverness College was removed from the town centre, but the move received backing yesterday.

A spokesman for UHI said its board of governors favoured the Beechwood site.

He said: "There is a recognition that it may be appropriate for the college to retain some presence in the town centre, but on balance the feeling is Beechwood is the preferred site for future provision for further and higher education in Inverness.

"Whatever is decided should be both acceptable to the board of management of Inverness College and to the governors of UHI."

A lack of space at Inverness College's current location, in the Longman Industrial Estate, is understood to have tipped the balance in favour of the greenfield site to the east of the city centre.

It is hoped the out-of-town location will help forge stronger links with nearby businesses and Raigmore hospital, with which UHI has joint research projects.

Transport links and other infrastructure will now need to be put in place, and HIE has indicated it will take at least five years for that work to be completed at the site which is a mile and a half to the east of Inverness centre.

Research conducted two years ago indicated developing Beechwood would generate twice as much money for the Highland economy as redeveloping Inverness College's current site. A report by consultants Cogentsi said the Beechwood option would bring in about 147m a year, compared with 75m.

Liam McArthur, Liberal Democrat Orkney MSP, questioned whether, given 100m of cuts to HIE's budget, it should be using so much of its remaining budget to fund this project.

He said: "This is the largest single investment ever made by HIE, and while support for the University of the Highlands and Islands remains strong, the understanding has always been that this is about enhancing social and economic development across the region.

"By committing so much of its annual budget to a single development in Inverness, HIE risks putting too many eggs in one basket.

"The implications of that for projects elsewhere in the region could be serious."

It is hoped that the completed Beechwood development will include student accommodation, sports facilities, a science and technology park and space for the Scottish Agricultural College, although it is understood any activity by SAC would not include educating students.

A spokesman for Inverness College said a final decision was still to be taken.

He said: "As part of our wider, ongoing evaluation of the options before us regarding the new campus project, the college board now needs to consider the finer detail of HIE's proposal and this will be done via dialogue with the agency.''