Following the approval of the development in principle in April 2024, the assumption was that the deal was done and SOGS had stopped fighting. This could not be further from the truth. Since April 2024, we have dedicated hundreds of hours to learning about planning and environmental policies, procedures and legalities, and consulting with experts and legal professionals. Our case is strong, rooted in the dismissal of policy, flawed ecological surveys, and misleading information about the Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and housing.

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Due to our solicitor's intervention informing the Council of their legal obligations, the proposal went back to the Planning Committee on March 12th 2025.  The updated Committee Report stated that the proposal “no longer complies with the IMFLDP2 or with the National Planning Framework 4”.  Yet, astonishingly, it still recommended approval and was approved without question by the Planning Committee through the bypassing of the very principles our policies were designed to protect.

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We have now been left with no option but to bring a Judicial Review against the Highland Council Planning Authority. Judicial Review does not examine the merits of the decision; it examines its lawfulness. Judicial Reviews are only accepted if there is a reasonable chance that the party bringing the Judicial Review will win. Our case has been accepted and the date set for the Judicial Review is the end of November.

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We were also successful in our application for a Protected Expenses Order (PEO). A PEO is an environmental and public interest court order that limits a party's liability for legal costs if they lose the case. As with the Judicial Review, a PEO will only be approved if there is a real prospect of success. 

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Solicitor fees, independent surveys, ecologist fees, and the cost of a Judicial Review are all necessary to protect our greenspace, but they also come with a high price tag, with Judicial Review the highest cost of them all, even with the PEO in place. That is why we need your help to support the Judicial Review process and protect our environment and heritage for future generations

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​​Your contribution through our JustGiving page (link below) can make a tangible difference, allowing us to challenge a decision that should never have been made. This is not just about losing a small town’s greenspace. It’s about setting a precedent for the protection of greenfield sites across Scotland. Our fight highlights a much larger issue – continued development that ignores both local and national policies, and the devastating environmental consequences that follow. Our case is an opportunity to make sure that such decisions will not go unchecked in the future.

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We are determined to see this through to the end. David won his battle against Goliath, and with your support we can win ours too.

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For further information on any of the above, please email info@sogs-highlands.co.uk.

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