More than £713,000 spent on scrapped street revamp

Highland Council spent more than £713,000 planning its trouble-hit Inverness Academy Street Project.

The local authority's proposals to make the city centre road more pedestrian friendly were scrapped in September following a legal challenge.

More than £54,000 was spent on external fees related to the action in the Court of Session.

Most of the total cost, confirmed by the council ahead of a debate on the project's expenditure, was covered by Scottish government funding.

The proposals for Academy Street, which included limits on private vehicles, were successfully challenged in court by the owners of the city's Eastgate Shopping Centre.

A judge ruled that Highland Council's consultation on the plan was unlawful and the impact on businesses had not been considered.

The local authority had said it would lodge an appeal, but councillors later agreed to abandon the proposed revamp.