World-beating business hub gets go-ahead in Highlands

A WORLD-class academic and business campus, expected to be one of the most important developments in the Highlands and Islands over the next 30 years, was backed in principle yesterday.

The 110 million project earmarked for a site on the outskirts of Inverness could attract investment of around 300 million and be vital in retaining the next generation of young people in the area.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) submitted plans for phase one of the campus at Beechwood Farm between the A9 and Inverness-Perth railway line and intends spending 25 million on the development over the next five years.

It will include facilities for the proposed University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Inverness College, Scottish Agricultural College and an expanded Centre for Health Science, as well as student accommodation, a hotel and business and sports units.

Highland Council's Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey planning committee backed the application by 11 votes to three despite concerns over traffic problems.

Ruaraidh MacNeil, project director of Inverness Campus, welcomed the decision and said work will get under way soon.

"The campus will give young people a real opportunity to train for high-value jobs in the region. It will also support the growing life sciences cluster and encourage education, business and research institutions to work collaboratively.

"This multi-stakeholder campus will be recognised around the world as a model of collaboration."

He said the development is vital to the future prosperity of the Highlands and Islands: "Not only will it be a next-generation facility for students, but it will also attract businesses to an excellent research hub."

Councillor David Henderson said the proposal was "historic" and the start of a new era of economic prosperity for the area: "Traffic in the short term will be problematic and there will be some inconveniences, but the concept is so large and so important it deserves our full support."

But Councillor John Holden objected on behalf of residents who said existing traffic congestion in Inverness would only increase due to the development. He said planners should "go back to the drawing board" to seek an alternative access.

One local community council has objected to the Beechwood plans, while two others have also raised concerns about increased traffic congestion around the site.

The campus development has already been controversial having forced Sandy Cumming, HIE's chief executive, to stand down to avoid a possible conflict of interest as his family home is 50 metres from the site boundary.

Western Isles councillors have also said HIE's investment of 25 million on the site is at the expense of the islands.