Inverness Caley Thistle Community Development Trust youth and women’s football venture gets green light from Highland Council planners

Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Trust’s proposed major football development site beside Inverness Royal Academy

Ambitious moves to create a purpose-built base for women’s, youth and community football in Inverness have been given the green light by planners.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Development Trust (ICTCDT) has been working to secure up to £2 million in grant funding to transform the old playing fields beside Inverness Royal Academy.

Success at the final planning stage could represent a silver lining for local football amid dark clouds this week hanging over administration-threatened Caley Thistle.

Using delegated powers, Highland Council planning officials approved the building of changing rooms, an office and classroom, parking and access at the recently disused grass pitches across the road from the school.

There would be seven parking spaces mainly for those with accessibility needs.

The long-term plan for the 10-acre playing field expanse, secured on a 25-year lease from Highland Council, is to create a number of training and full-size pitches, including a show pitch that would make Caley Thistle’s women’s team one of the first in the country to have a dedicated home venue of their own.

Some concerns had been raised over potential traffic safety issues at the site, which lies 70 metres south-west privately-owned Academy Houses, of Culduthel Road, Inverness.

One neighbour lodged an objection on the grounds of safety, security, noise and pollution, while Lochardil & Drummond Community Council qualified enthusiastic support for the project with “some concerns” over “not completely clear” traffic management plans.

A plan of where the building will take place at IRA pitches.Aerial photo of IRA playing field site with building zone marked.

But planning officials have included conditions which state that approved traffic management plans both for the construction and operational phases of the development must be in place before work can start and events can be hosted.

These would “ensure the safety and free flow of traffic on the public road”, as well as pedestrian safety.

There would also be active travel improvements to allow safe and easy access from the wider catchment area.

The new clubhouse and changing facilities would be “sensitively positioned” on the northern edge of the playing fields to minimise the building footprint impact on the playing fields and take advantage of the existing access to the playing fields.

They were previously heavily-used for football and rugby by the school, and also held grass athletics markings, but had fallen into disuse since the school’s rebuilding with state of the art synthetic pitches.

The old changing rooms and stores that still exist at the site are unused and boarded up.

When we first broke news of the plan for the site in March 2022, it was widely hailed as “game-changing” for the sport in Inverness, with Caley Thistle officials, Scottish Women’s Football (SWF), ICTWFC manager Karen Mason and a number of local sporting personalities all welcoming the proposal.

Artist’s impression of how the Inverness Caledonian Thistle sports development near Inverness Royal Academy would look.

As with all of the Trust’s work, it will operate independently of Caley Thistle and is not threatened in any way by the League One club’s current financial plight.

Documentation supporting the application stated that the proposal was being promoted by ICTCDT with “a view to supporting grassroots football development for children of all genders and abilities, (with) the backing of the Scottish Football Association (SFA), including associated Government grants and sponsorship funding.”

An existing private single-track access road connects to Culduthel Road, about 30 metres north of access to the school bus stance on the opposite side of the road.

Artist’s impression of how the Inverness Caledonian Thistle sports development near Inverness Royal Academy would look.

A transport statement included in the application stated: “The proposals are intended to improve existing facilities for the wider community and provide a single venue for grassroots football festivals and events that currently take place across three different venues on Saturdays and weekday evenings.

“The location is such that it has an excellent walking and cycling catchment to encourage sustainable travel and, being located adjacent to IRA, already has excellent footway and controlled pedestrian crossing provision.

“The existing parking availability within acceptable walking distances to the playing fields is considered to be suitable to cater for the future parking demands.”

Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Development Trust were approached for comment.

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