HIE advances towards expanding Inverness Campus

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has received approval in principle for plans to introduce a hotel and academic facilities at Inverness Campus. This clearance allows the organization to advance to the second and final phase of development, pending a formal agreement with Highland Council.

The 215-acre (87 ha) purpose-built campus, which opened in 2015, currently hosts 16 businesses along with institutions such as the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and the NHS.

The next development phase will include commercial buildings, with 27 acres (11 ha) integrated into the new Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport. HIE highlighted that the freeport designation could boost the campus's role in supporting the renewable energy sector and life sciences industries.

Work on the campus project began in 2007, with construction starting in 2013 supported by 25 million in funding. A spokesperson noted that Inverness Campus now sustains around 1,000 jobs across public, private, and academic sectors.

The final stage of the expansion requires a formal agreement with the local authority under a planning condition known as a Section 75 agreement.

Author: Ethan Caldwell