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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Announcement expected on Inverness City Region Deal | Announcement expected on Inverness City Region Deal |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The Scottish and UK governments are expected to confirm details of a City Region Deal for Inverness and the wider Highlands area. | The Scottish and UK governments are expected to confirm details of a City Region Deal for Inverness and the wider Highlands area. |
| Highland Council has sought support for a raft of projects that would cost more than £400m to realise over 10 years. | Highland Council has sought support for a raft of projects that would cost more than £400m to realise over 10 years. |
| The proposals include new sports facilities, improvements to transport links and creating new skills academies, mostly in Inverness. | |
| The deal involves direct funding and greater borrowing powers. | The deal involves direct funding and greater borrowing powers. |
| 'Best in Europe' | |
| Margaret Davidson, the leader of Highland Council, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the package would bring years of "certainty and investment". | |
| She said it would pay for major roads projects in Inverness. The new West Link has been designed to ease city centre congestion and travel to the A82, while the planned East Link would connect the A96 to the A9. | |
| A flyover to take traffic up and over the Longman Roundabout at the Kessock Bridge could also be allocated money, said Ms Davidson. | |
| She added that funding would also be directed towards improving the region's internet connections. | |
| Ms Davidson said: "What everyone, every community, is telling me is digital connectivity is what we are needing. | |
| "That would penetrate every corner of the Highlands and we want the Highlands to be the best connected region in Europe." | |
| Highland Council's City Region Deal wish list | |
| Similar deals have previously been secured by Glasgow and jointly by Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils. | Similar deals have previously been secured by Glasgow and jointly by Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils. |
| The Scottish and UK governments provide funding and other support for the packages. | The Scottish and UK governments provide funding and other support for the packages. |
| Highland Council said millions of pounds it has committed to building Inverness's new West Link road would form part of the deal. | Highland Council said millions of pounds it has committed to building Inverness's new West Link road would form part of the deal. |
| The local authority said the package would benefit the wider Highland area. | |
| During last week's Budget, Chancellor George Osborne said that negotiations would also begin on the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal bid | During last week's Budget, Chancellor George Osborne said that negotiations would also begin on the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal bid |
| It aims to secure major funding to help better protect historic attractions in Scotland's capital, and also boost the wider area's overseas trade and opportunities for new businesses. | It aims to secure major funding to help better protect historic attractions in Scotland's capital, and also boost the wider area's overseas trade and opportunities for new businesses. |
| Those involved have calculated that an additional £3.2bn worth of private sector investment could be leveraged if the bid was successful. | Those involved have calculated that an additional £3.2bn worth of private sector investment could be leveraged if the bid was successful. |