Painting of new double yellow lines in Bught Park area of Inverness put on hold by Highland Council amid business concerns
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WORK painting double yellow lines has stopped in some areas around Bught Park in Inverness to enable talks with concerned businesses.
Although Highland Council published road traffic orders earlier this year, the appearance of the lines in the last week has taken many park users, including sports groups, by surprise and prompted mixed reactions.
Inverness West councillor Alex Graham, who has been contacted by businesses including a crazy golf and ice cream shop, said the new parking restrictions were linked to the Riverside Way project which aims to make the area more of an accessible destination with enhanced pedestrian and cycle connections.
“They have put in some yellow lines,” he said. “But where they are contentious, they have left them in the meantime.”
One concerned football player in the Highland Amateur League said if four games were being played at the park, 160 people were involved.
“When you add in other referees, spectators and you have shinty, American football and runners all using the park, there could be close on 300 using the park at the same time with only a gravel strip that is nowhere big enough to park on,” he said.
David Russell, president of the Florians Dramatic Society, said parking around the theatre in Bught Drive could be problematic especially in the summer and there were now fears the yellow lines would prevent a portable cabin for the large pantomime cast being sited outside the stage door in winter.
Mr Russell said while prohibiting parking might resolve one issue, parking was needed somewhere for all users of facilities in the area.
“I’m not aware of what provision has been made to meet this demand as an alternative to the on street parking,” he said.
“The few spaces provided outside the front of the theatre will accommodate eight to10 cars but I would suggest that is not enough so the problem will simply be moved elsewhere.”
Highlands and Islands Green MSP John Finnie said a sensible transition was needed with measures to counter any negative impacts.
“Of course it would be good if we could all place less reliance on private motor cars and Highland Council was a strong advocate of public transport,” he said.
“Sadly, this is the administration which was recently positively extolling people to drive into Inverness city centre, already an air pollution black spot. On that occasion they ignored the evidence they had or failed to do impact assessments. I suspect the same has happened with this proposal and I ask them to halt and reconsider.”
