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| £315m Inverness City Region Deal announced | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Scottish and UK governments have confirmed details of a £315m City Region Deal for Inverness and the wider Highlands area. | |
| Highland Council had 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 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. |
| Earlier, 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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." | "That would penetrate every corner of the Highlands and we want the Highlands to be the best connected region in Europe." |
| The council leader confirmed that £15m had been sought for a project to transform Inverness Castle, currently a sheriff court, into a tourist attraction. | |
| Highland Council's City Region Deal wish list | Highland Council's City Region Deal wish list |
| Highlands-based economist Tony Mackay said there was merit in some of the projects proposed, but described other ideas as "poor". | Highlands-based economist Tony Mackay said there was merit in some of the projects proposed, but described other ideas as "poor". |
| He told BBC Radio Scotland that turning Inverness Castle into a tourist attraction and improving roads would bring much-needed economic benefits. | He told BBC Radio Scotland that turning Inverness Castle into a tourist attraction and improving roads would bring much-needed economic benefits. |
| But he added that money should also be invested in putting new businesses into empty shops in the city centre. Mr Mackay said building a velodrome would be a "waste of money". | But he added that money should also be invested in putting new businesses into empty shops in the city centre. Mr Mackay said building a velodrome would be a "waste of money". |
| City of Angles | City of Angles |
| By Steven McKenzie, BBC Highlands and Islands reporter | By Steven McKenzie, BBC Highlands and Islands reporter |
| Ask anyone in Inverness and they will have a different angle on how hundreds of millions of pounds should be spent on the city. | Ask anyone in Inverness and they will have a different angle on how hundreds of millions of pounds should be spent on the city. |
| There is support for the greater availability of sporting facilities because of the huge demand for what is already on offer at sites such as Inverness Leisure and Culloden Community Centre. | There is support for the greater availability of sporting facilities because of the huge demand for what is already on offer at sites such as Inverness Leisure and Culloden Community Centre. |
| And while a traffic jam in Inverness is usually nothing like what can be experienced in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen, it is the cause of frustration, especially at the Longman Roundabout, the octopus tentacle-esq Inshes Roundabout and Raigmore Interchange. | And while a traffic jam in Inverness is usually nothing like what can be experienced in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen, it is the cause of frustration, especially at the Longman Roundabout, the octopus tentacle-esq Inshes Roundabout and Raigmore Interchange. |
| But the West Link, one of Highland Council's solutions to the traffic problems, has been controversial with a campaign opposed to the loss of green spaces to the new road. | But the West Link, one of Highland Council's solutions to the traffic problems, has been controversial with a campaign opposed to the loss of green spaces to the new road. |
| Better digital connectivity would likely receive wide spread support with the most vocal support coming from places beyond Inverness. Highland Council's leader Margaret Davidson has said the whole of the Highlands would benefit from investment in improved broadband connections. | Better digital connectivity would likely receive wide spread support with the most vocal support coming from places beyond Inverness. Highland Council's leader Margaret Davidson has said the whole of the Highlands would benefit from investment in improved broadband connections. |
| Wherever the millions of pounds is eventually committed it will be the cause of agreement and disagreement. | Wherever the millions of pounds is eventually committed it will be the cause of agreement and disagreement. |
| 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. | 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. |