Councillors scrap planned Inverness Academy Street revamp

Economy and infrastructure committee chairman Ken Gowans said stepping back from the scheme was the right thing.

He said it would allow the council to work towards a consensus about the best way to improve the city centre.

Councillors had voted in September to push ahead with the redesign to make the street more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.

A 70% reduction in traffic was proposed.

But in a legal challenge brought to the Court of Session, trustees of the owners of Eastgate Centre argued that a proper consultation was not held on the plans.

In a judgement, Lord Sandison upheld the challenge, but said Highland Council did not have a “subjective intention” to run an unfair consultation exercise.

He said it may only have been with the benefit of hindsight that it was possible to see where and how it went “awry”.