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New justice centre planned for Inverness industrial estate

August 3 2016

New justice centre planned for Inverness industrial estate
Reiach & Hall Architects have been appointed by the Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service to deliver a £23m justice centre on the site of a former depot in the Longman industrial estate, Inverness.

Located off Burnett Road the three storey scheme will stretch to 6,000sq/m and will consist of courts, offices, a cafe and ancillary accommodation adjacent to an existing police station to the south and the former Inverness College to the north.

This work will necessitate the demolition of existing buildings on 3.5 acres of land and an application for full planning permission is expected over the next three months.

In their EIA screening opinion agents GVA wrote: “The surrounding area is of a light business and industrial character and the design of the development will take full cognisance of this.”

Ina statement the SCTS said: “The SCTS has submitted a pre-planning major development enquiry (not a planning application) for a site at the former bus depot to obtain the views of Highland Council in principle to the suitability of this site as a potential site for the Inverness Justice Centre. This is part of a due diligence process being undertaken by the SCTS prior to making any decision on the Justice Centre location.

“We are committed to the delivery of a new justice centre in Inverness and the scoping work, centre design and engagement with partners continues while we seek to secure the right site."

It is expected that construction will begin by the end of the year for completion by summer 2018, whereupon the existing centre in Inverness Castle will be closed – allowing it to be transformed into a tourist attraction.

The new project will dovetail with delivery of HMP Highland in Milton of Leys.

5 Comments

Terra
#1 Posted by Terra on 3 Aug 2016 at 17:49 PM
Well surely anything would be an improvement on the area as it currently stands if that picture is anything to go by. Grim.
I like the way they talk about the surrounding industrial area like the want to design a judiciary building in keeping with it...for goodness sake; YOUR building should be the stand out in that area, not trying to blend in...with an (italics) industrial estate.
Wonders never cease.
Yaldy
#2 Posted by Yaldy on 4 Aug 2016 at 11:18 AM
A "justice centre"
Bar Abbas
#3 Posted by Bar Abbas on 4 Aug 2016 at 11:31 AM
Good point Yaldy. Irony noted.
This is indeed where we are in the 21st Century:
'The new project will dovetail with delivery of HMP Highland in Milton of Leys.'
Chief Justice Hershey
#4 Posted by Chief Justice Hershey on 4 Aug 2016 at 13:38 PM
I look forward to seeing Judge Dredd cruising the streets of Inverness from his 'justice centre'... I'm assuming the obligatory 'hub' moniker was overlooked for this project name?
The Riddler
#5 Posted by The Riddler on 4 Aug 2016 at 15:51 PM
Riddle me these......

1. Should the public purse be bled employing an Edinburgh design architect when a local one would do?
2. Do criminals deserve good/expensive design?
3. Why not find a site in Inverness big enough so that the crims can be dragged next door to gaol without crossing a road? Much more efficient and sensible.

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