Plans To Expand Inverness Shopping Park Could Create Jobs
Plans have been submitted to Inverness City Council for a £13m transformation of Inverness Shopping Park.
Plans have been submitted to Inverness City Council for a £13m transformation of Inverness Shopping Park.
The refurbishment project aims to improve the shopping experience for visitors to the Park and includes a proposal to convert the former Comet shop, which has lain empty since the company went into administration, into three new restaurants.
Plans to upgrade the existing shops and parking facilities would also see the creation of a customer services building to house toilet and baby changing facilities.
The plans also include new frontages to increase natural light into the shops and, in addition to enhancements to the buildings, the application proposes improved landscaping, better access for car drivers and cyclists, and an increase in parking spaces.
The three restaurants which want to locate at the Inverness Shopping Park – Frankie and Benny’s, TGI Fridays and Nandos – have indicated they would also consider opening in the City Centre.
180 full and part-time jobs will be created at the Park if permission is granted by the Council. Inverness Shopping Park is located alongside the new Inverness College UHI campus and it is envisaged the restaurants will be a useful source of part-time employment for students, as well as providing a selection of places to eat.
A play area, toilets with changing facilities and a choice of restaurants catering for shoppers with young children will all help to make the Park a more welcoming place for families.
Kirsteen Gunn, Inverness Shopping Park Manager said: “We have a great range of shops and leisure facilities here, but we need to make improvements to the facilities to meet the expectations of the modern shopper.
“We hope the planners and councillors will look carefully at our analysis of potential impacts and allow us to create a better experience for our local customers and our staff, as well as visitors. We believe these improvements will be a positive move for the city and should be welcomed.”
Built in 1996, it was originally occupied by large bulky goods retailers but as shopping habits have changed, the park has seen a change in the type of tenants and the size of the unit they require. As a result it now has a larger number of retailers and a much more diverse shopping experience with a higher footfall.