Inverness City Centre Development Brief - The Highland Council

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Inverness City Centre Development Brief Permeability refers to the directness of links and the density of connections. As connectivity increases, travel distances decrease and route options increase, allowing more direct travel between destinations, creating a more accessible and resilient City Centre. Maximising accessibility and the flow of movement to, from and within areas of the City Centre is crucial. The recent developments at Strothers Lane are a good example of improving permeability by incorporating a traditional close into the design to allow for more direct access into other areas. Theme 3: Tourism Tourism is becoming an ever more important aspect of the Scottish economy and no-more so than in Highland. Inverness is a key tourist destination in its own right and was found to be the 2 nd most popular tourist city in Scotland (behind Edinburgh) and the 8 th most popular location in the UK. Tourist Attractions & Facilities There is ongoing work to improve and promote the assets which the City Centre has to offer such as those highlighted in the Historic Tourist Trail leaflet below. However, it is clear that there is still scope to greatly improve the visitor experience. Creating a clear and natural tourist trail round the City Centre is a key priority. 9
Inverness City Centre Development Brief Coach Facilities The coach industry is a vital part of the tourism and transport sectors. It is estimated that 70,000 visitors dock on cruise ships in the Inverness area each year. Yet only a fraction of these people actually visit Inverness and those that do are reported to spend on average only 45 minutes there. Therefore, the ability to provide dedicated coach facilities within the core of Inverness would have significant tourism and economic benefits. This could also have added benefits for other development proposals in the brief such as the promotion of the Victorian Market as an indoor tourist facility. The coach facilities do not need to be associated with the bus or rail station but must be in accessible location for the City Centre. An alternative may be to create designated coach drop-offs in the centre of the city with allocated parking situated in the periphery. Theme 4: Economy The City Centre has traditionally been the market place and centre point of commercial activity of Inverness. A key aim of this brief is to continue this by strengthen existing businesses and supporting new businesses to develop. Retail Inverness City Centre is the retail hub of the Highlands and Islands. Historically the prime retail area comprised of virtually all of the Old Town. More recently this area has contracted and arguably comprises of the Eastgate shopping centre and the top end of the High Street. The retail units in the Old Town have been experiencing steady decline in footfall and due to the current economic downturn has resulted in many properties struggling to attract occupiers. A key priority for the Council it to help draw people through the centre and encourage people to visit other areas than simply the prime retail areas. Office Space 10
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Inverness City Centre Development Brief - The Highland Council

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