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Inverness College UHI Sports Pitch Visual

Sports pitch planned for Inverness Campus

Published: 24/03/2021

Plans for an all-weather, synthetic sports pitch at Inverness Campus have taken a major step forward.

Ruaraidh MacNeil, HIE's director of infrastructure

Inverness College UHI announced today (Wednesday 24 March) it has been awarded £300,000 by sportscotland to complete a £1m funding package for the facility.

The plans aim to fulfil a long-term ambition to provide sports facilities on Inverness Campus for students, local sports clubs and the community. The full-size rugby and football pitch would be floodlit and suitable for year-round use, including training, matches and seven-a-side games.

Inverness Campus is being developed by HIE as a nationally and internationally significant location for business, research and education, and has made land available for the sports pitch.

Ruaraidh MacNeil, HIE’s director of infrastructure, said:

“Sports development has been part of the Inverness Campus vision since the start, and I am delighted that the collaborative approach to this project has borne fruit. This is excellent news for all at Inverness Campus; those who work here, our visitors and students.”

Professor Chris O’Neil, principal and chief executive of Inverness College UHI, said:

“This facility will greatly enhance the student experience on Campus as well as enhancing our sport and wellbeing programmes. The pitch and the ambitious plans for Phase 2 will make studying in the Highlands more attractive, helping our communities to retain and attract talent. The collaborative nature of the development means that it will not only benefit students across the University of the Highlands and Islands network, but also communities across the North of Scotland, adding to an already vibrant, community campus here in Inverness. It is our ambition that the pitch and the wider planned development will encourage active health and wellbeing throughout our communities as well as supporting pathways to develop talent from youth and grassroots on to elite sports.”

Funding for the pitch has already been secured from Inverness College UHI’s Foundation, Highland Council developer contribution funding and the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

A planning application for the pitch will be submitted to Highland Council shortly.

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