Copyright bbc
Highland Council's Independent convenor Bill Lobban, leader and SNP councillor Raymond Bremner and opposition leader and Lib Dem Alasdair Christie, said they only received written confirmation of the UK government's plans on Monday. The local authority said it understood the property would be used as transitional accommodation from early December for up to 12 months. The council said it had requested additional information from the Home Office about the plans for the city, which has a population of about 83,000. In their statement, the senior councillors said: "We await more details on how Inverness was selected over other available locations and how community cohesion will be maintained given the large number of asylum seekers planned relative to the local population. "The UK government have informed us that their accommodation will be self-contained, with all necessary services provided on site. "The asylum seekers are 'non-detained', meaning they will be free to leave their site should they wish." Cameron Barracks sits on a hilltop near Inverness city centre, close to Raigmore Hospital, supermarkets and fast food takeaways. Highland Council will hold a special meeting on the plans on Thursday.
