BREAKING: Green light for new bowling alley plans in Inverness spark concerns over community representation
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A planning application to build a new bowling alley at Inverness Shopping Park was approved by councillors today by the narrowest of margins.
Members of the South Planning Committee were equally split on plans to convert the Everlast Gym and Sport Direct outlet at the retail park into a ten-pin bowling centre and indoor inflatable activity course.
This came after members and staff of Everlast Gym staged a peaceful protest in front of Highland Council this morning in a last bid to save the gym, which many called "a lifeline service".
The meeting saw six votes in favour and six votes against the application, however the last say went to committee chair councillor Thomas MacLennan, who supported the recommendation to grant the plans lodged.
The main reason given was that according to current regulations, it's not in the council's power to reject this application on the basis of community interest.
During the debate, councillors raised concerns over the "difficult situation" in which the council was put due to the lack of policies protecting from the loss of community assets.
Councillor Andrew MacKintosh said: "This is one of these concerning applications in which are stuck between the needs and wishes of the community and the needs and wishes of our commercial concerns.
"That the business is able to change its provision without any reference to the community is an unsatisfactory situation.
"We are supposed to be a community-led democracy and this puts the council in a difficult situation where we are supposed to be representing and standing up for the local community, and that is just played all over by the power of the pound.
"But ultimately, the current owners have the final say. If they want to shut it all down we cannot stop it."
Councillor Isabelle MacKenzie said she was concerned about the detrimental impact this would have on the mental health and wellbeing of the local community as well as the change of business type allowed by the plans.
She said: "The fact that when we are changing a condition like this, there isn't a policy that then allows you to embed in that we can do something about the loss of such facilities when we are developing and changing is concerning."
Councillor Ken Gowans, raised a motion to refuse the planning application on the grounds that the applicant did not give sufficient evidence that the same development could not be offered in the city centre and that the new facilities proposed would not be keeping in with the rest of the area.
On the other hand, it was considered that the refusal of the planning application could not be based on a community requirement – echoing the controversial decision leading to the closure of the Ironworks.
Councillor Paul Oldham said: "Fundamentally this is a planning committee, and we have to deal with planning issues, and I am reminded of a very similar situation here, that of the Ironworks.
"What we have is actually a contract negotiation going on between Hercules Unit Trust and Frasers Group.
"I cannot see any good grounds for refusing this planning application, with some regret I propose here that there is nothing else we can do."
