As in the report recommendations, the committee agreed to consult more widely on a draft Highland Delivery Programme, which in future will be vetted by the full council and become the principal corporate and cross agency tool for the spatial coordination of investment in Highland.

Chair of the Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “Growth is welcome but has impacts which need to be offset by new investment particularly in infrastructure capacity such as schools and transport. That investment is coordinated by a document called a Delivery Programme. It makes transparent for communities, the development industry, infrastructure providers, and the Council, what investment is needed to support new development.

“The support from the Committee today means that we can move forward and use the Delivery Programme as a mechanism to secure funding and aid coordination of other funding opportunities to deliver essential infrastructure and services. Proper place-based coordination of investment in Highland will make the public, and private, pound go further.”

The next stage is to launch a consultation on the Highland Delivery Programme. It has already been reviewed with input from a number of infrastructure partners but will now go out to wider consultation including with local community groups.

Councillor Gowans added: “This consultation, will allow consideration of wider views on the proposed actions for delivering development.”

A further report to the committee in early 2025 will provide feedback from the consultation and suggested next steps.