A deal has been signed that will see £30 million invested in the development of a new business park close to Inverness Airport. In charge of the project’s initial phase is Roxhill Developments, based in Warwickshire. The first phase will see the development of 30 acres at the airport which will include warehouses, offices and a hotel.

It is hoped that nearly 2,000 jobs will be created by the new venture including 700 construction positions and permanent employment of a further 1,200 once the phase is complete and businesses move in. When all of the 618 acres at the site have been developed, the Airport Park will be the largest in the Highlands with shops, restaurants, industrial units and hotels.

It is estimated that over the coming four decades the park will create 10,000 jobs following £200 million of investment. Stewart Nicol, chief executive of the Inverness Chamber of Commerce, said he was extremely pleased by the news and that the investment represented how much faith there was in the local business community.

David Keir, executive chairman of Roxhill, said the firm was looking forward to developing the business park and that it represented a significant investment. He added that Inverness was a city which was growing quickly but was still short of adequate industrial space. He went on to say that when completed he hoped the project would be attractive to warehousing, logistics and freight companies.

The development was given planning permission last year by the Highland Council. It is part of the growth corridor along the A96.