It is hard to believe that this story has been rumbling for almost three years but it finally reached a conclusion last week.

Initially developer Bricks Capital hoped to build a new hotel in Inverness city centre and the plans were first submitted in 2019 which was just after I started at the Courier.

However, the snag was that, if they were approved, it would mean the demolition and loss of a purpose-built music venue – The Ironworks in Academy Street in Inverness.

It held a special place in people’s hearts because it was much-loved and was a reasonable sized venue which could host bigger bands.

Initially the plans were rejected because councillors felt the proposed hotel was too imposing for the surrounding buildings and it would dominate the area.

The developer worked with council planning officers to come up with an acceptable building and it finally returned to Highland Council’s South Planning Applications Committee on Thursday.

Officers had recommended approval and the members of the committee went with the recommendation – bearing in mind if they had voted with their hearts the council could have faced a costly appeal process.

And, while I did not cover the meeting, this was the preview piece I wrote which appeared in Tuesday’s edition of the Inverness Courier.

Hopes for hotel go-ahead

DEVELOPERS are “optimistic” their long-running efforts to win permission for a new hotel on a key city centre site will finally be realised this week.

Bricks Capital wants to build a £30 million hotel on the site of the Ironworks in Academy Street.

But in June, despite redrawing plans to meet previously raised concerns about the design of the proposed multi-storey, 155-bedroom structure, Highland Council’s south planning applications committee opted to defer ruling on the plans.

This was after Inverness Central councillor Michael Cameron tabled an amendment to that effect, saying he felt he needed more information to make an informed decision.

With the matter due to come before councillors again on Thursday, Bricks believes it has been able to meet that demand.

A spokesman said: “Following the previous meeting, we have addressed every query raised, as a result of which a fact sheet has been submitted to committee members, which we think will be helpful.

“A YouTube link, showing the design, has also been forwarded to the council.

“We’re going into the meeting with a positive recommendation from the council’s own planning officials and its expert design review panel.

“We have clarified everything asked of us, so we remain optimistic.

“This £30 million project is the biggest private sector inward investment in the city, which the planning committee will face in the next year, and can be of significant benefit to reinvigorating the city centre.”

Cllr Cameron said he believed “discrepancies” in information last time round had since been sorted out and that the detail now available to councillors was “consistent”.

He said he still had to go through more than 300 pages of supporting information, as well as 113 other associated documents and sought to further explain the position he had taken at the previous meeting.

“At the last planning meeting I was keen to emphasise that decisions have to be made that not only satisfy the planning committee but also stand up to scrutiny and minimise the risk of being reversed on appeal, which could potentially be a costly business for the council,” he said.

As previously, council planning officers are recommending the committee approves the application, which was first lodged in 2019.

If it does get the go-ahead the Ironworks would be demolished to make way for the new hotel which would include a café/bar, restaurant and two gyms.

Related article: Save our Ironworks

From the Inverness Courier on Tuesday, August 16, 2022.