A planning application for a new town at Tornagrain, between Inverness and Nairn, has been submitted to the Highland Council following more than two years of community consultation.
Developers Moray Estates appointed leading US planner Andres Duany to design the new town of around 5,000 homes.
Duany's company DPZ began the consultation by holding a series of public workshops and presentations over 10 days in September 2006.
More than 600 people attended the workshops and presentations during the charrette, which was followed by a further three public exhibitions, designed to take people through each stage of the panning application, as well as a number of meetings with local community councils and other interested parties. Each exhibition was made into a brochure, explaining changes that had been made to reflect comments from the local community, as well as dealing with technical and environmental issues emerging from the Environmental Impact Assessment.
The new community at Tornagrain will include almost 5,000 homes, around 50 hectares of parks and open spaces, five schools and other amenities including libraries, churches, healthcare facilities and community halls. Depending on planning permission, it is hoped building will start in 2013.
