PLANS to convert a former poultry farm into a major seafood operation in the Inverness area which was expected to create up to 150 jobs, have hit a surprise delay.
The go-ahead had been given by the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey planning committee recently when the news was welcomed as an important employment boost for a region which has seen more than its fair share of job losses in the past year.
But in a shock move it will now be reconsidered by planning committee of the Highlands Council tomorrow (Thursday) after eight councillors asked for the decision to be reviewed.
The application is from the company Nairnside Ltd which normally specialises in poultry products. This is a new venture for them and it would have partly offset the blow caused by the closure of the Strathaird salmon factory in Inverness with the loss of 325 jobs last summer when its owner, The Seafood Company, decided to move production to Fraserburgh.
The new factory is due to be up and running before the end of the year. Sited about 12 miles from Inverness it is designed to process salmon and other fish products. Just before Christmas local residents were given a look at the plans by Nairnside Ltd. The company held an exhibition at Croy Hall, just a short distant from the site where they explained their plans to local people. They said the factory would deal with only fish that had been filleted and there would be some hot and cold smoking and vacuum packing.
When the project was announced last year it was hailed as a welcome boost for the economy by local political leaders including the local MP Danny Alexander. However, not every local resident has welcomed the development, with some warning about the danger of waste entering local streams and rivers - hence the decision to look again at planning approval
Should people be 'stimulated' to eat white fish alternatives to cod?
