Council says typo to blame after Inverness committee was incorrectly told Town House Wi-Fi cost £980k
Highland Council has blamed a typo in an official report that stated £980,000 of Inverness Common Good Fund cash had been used to install Wi-Fi in the Town House.
The error came to light after The Inverness Courier report highlighted the huge sum that appeared to have been spent on connectivity in the Grade A building to increase its commercial opportunities.
We originally reported that an official paper stated: “The Town House has seen significant investment in its infrastructure following the £7.4 million renovation project” – which has won acclaim for preserving the Category A-listed building.
It continued: “Wi-Fi has been installed at a cost of £0.98 million and non-structural works have been undertaken to enable occupation by a number of third-party tenants to the rear of the building.”
The local authority has now confirmed that the total sum spent on Wi-Fi was £98,000 – which is still a large sum – however it was ten times smaller than the previously quoted figure by officials.
Given that it is a Grade-A listed building which carries with it significant restrictions in how it may be adapted for contemporary needs, it is understood that the sums involved are not exorbitant.
It comes as the council is looking into more commercial opportunities for the Town House since taking the decision two years ago to vacate the building for official meetings and other council business.
