The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Viewing platform and Ness WiFi shows Inverness City Region Deal delivering, says director
The Inverness City Region Deal is starting to deliver according to Highland Council’s infrastructure director.
Stuart Black cited the new viewing platform at Inverness Castle and the new city centre Ness WiFi scheme as tangible examples that have been delivered out of the £315million fund.
And Mr Black said that other developments would be brought forward in the next year, including affordable housing and educational facilities for science subjects in schools.
He said: “We’ve had a number of business cases approved and we’re starting to deliver projects on the ground.
“Probably the most visible is the viewing platform at Inverness Castle and we’ve also got the Ness WiFi project.
“Funds are coming through now for affordable housing, for the school of health with UHI so it is good to see activity on the ground now.”
He said the viewing platform at the castle and proven “very popular” since it opened – while there has also been “significant uptake of the Ness WiFi scheme.
The Ness WiFi scheme is due to be rolled out from its present few streets to a wider area around the city centre. Other “tourism towns” will get a public WiFi as part of the scheme.
Mr Black was speaking after addressing business people at a special breakfast event in Dingwall hosted by the Press and Journal.
Looking ahead, Mr Black said that there should be tangible progress over the next year more widely across the City Deal projects.
He said: “We would like to see the opening of our Newton Rooms, the first ones at Inverness Campus and also in Caithness and Fort William.
“These are designed to get young people interested in science and technology subjects and I think they’ll be significant and very well received.”
He said that he hoped to see delivery of new housing across the region – highlighting the Raining’s Stairs development in Inverness which has already begun.
He added: “You’ll start to see the City Region logo starting to feature more widely on construction sites across the area.”
“Progress over next year more widely across City Deal projects”