Retail Store and Community Gardens Approved

Plans for a new retail establishment and community allotment plots situated near Smithton, Inverness, have received approval from councillors. The household goods retailer Home Bargains is anticipated to operate the 3,252 sq-metre facility, which will encompass a shop, a garden centre, and a café. An additional 4,900 sq metres of land at the same location is designated for use as community allotments. During a vote on the proposal by Highland Council’s south planning applications committee, the outcome was an 8-8 tie, necessitating the chairman’s tie-breaking vote in favour to secure approval.