Kessock Bridge roundabout works top funding bid
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ROAD improvements to alleviate traffic jams at the Kessock Bridge junction are topping Highland Council’s list of projects to be funded from a hoped-for £300 million cash pot.
The local authority is bidding for City Deal status for Inverness from the UK government.
Council leader Margaret Davidson, who met with Scottish Secretary David Mundell this week, said his visit gave her the strongest confirmation yet that Inverness was a step closer to achieving City Deal status that would promise multi-million pounds worth of new infrastructure.
Mr Mundell confirmed projects worth £3 million were approved by the UK Government as an initial allocation of the City Deal funding.
It will be used to upgrade the grounds and access to Inverness Castle and provide free wi-fi in the city centre.
But the council has now submitted outline proposals for projects worth more than £300 million in the hope that they will qualify for City Deal funding.
Welcoming the £3 million package announced by the UK Government in Inverness on Tuesday, Councillor Davidson said: "It’s fantastic but I’m looking for a few more zeros on there - £300 million would be good. "We have submitted outline projects and the big infrastructure ones include the junction at the Kessock Bridge. It just holds everything up, from there traffic just gets worse as you go back."
Mr Mundell could not confirm time scales, nor could he say how much money might be in the offing for the council.
But he said he was impressed with the projects already put forward as part of a council bid for more funds.
He said: "It’s clear we want to be able to complete a full City Deal here in Inverness.
"I think the council have a number of very credible and sustainable projects but we just need to have the detailed discussion around those and that’s what started today."
He added: "It sort of depends on the council coming forward but what I’m satisfied about having met the councillors today is they don’t just have a wish list, they have detailed projects they want to take forward. They’ve then got to set them out, showing how much they will cost ad demonstrate that they will have a positive economic impact."
