Greens call for councillors to 'be brave' and approve plan for Academy Street in Inverness
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Greens are urging members of Highland Council's Inverness area committee to approve plans for altering the layout of the main city street.
On Monday members of the committee will be asked either to approve the progression of plans that will end Academy Street's role as a major city through route for motor traffic or scrap this plan and remove the bollards that have been in place on the street since lockdown to offer greater space for pedestrians.
City centre businesses have been largely united in condemning the plan, but Greens councillor for Aird and Loch Ness, Chris Ballance, said: "Inverness is now a city, and we have the chance to create a modern city like York and Paris which have seen businesses flourish since they reduced cars and thereby encouraged vast numbers of shoppers on foot and by bike.
"A city is a place you drive to, then walk round. A town is somewhere you drive through. Often without stopping.
"Buses will also be able to get to their destination sooner and they drop people off right at the door of places like Marks and Spencer, so this will be an even more attractive option especially with many new electric buses.
"For many people a relaxed, efficient, low carbon way of reaching Academy Street is by train and there is more capacity on trains.
"This is not closing off Academy Street, it is opening up Academy Street to pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists. Pedestrians, wheelers and cyclists visit shops."
He added: "We know that reducing traffic increases footfall and that you can move far more people efficiently by foot, bike and bus than you can in private cars, often single occupancy ones, you can fit a lot more bike parking in a space and buses do not take up road space to park, so if you want more people to visit the city centre and use the space efficiently you want to minimise car use and make the other options more attractive.
"People in cars will still be able to visit – 4500 car-parking spaces within five minutes walk of Academy Street.
"Buses and taxis will still have access.
"Visitors arriving by bus or train will no longer walk out to fumes, noise and dirt.
"The business case has already been made in the example of hundreds of cities across the world who have had the courage to stand up against congested streets dominated by cars and transform their cities.
"As a former owner of a small shop I can understand the fear that comes with any change – particularly in this era of Tory economic chaos.
"But Academy Street is not a healthy place. It regularly appears in the top 10 of Scotland’s most polluted streets. It is not a pleasant environment to be in.
"The vision for the city is to make the city alive, with people living in it and tourists thronging to it, a vibrant café and entertainment culture, clean air, green spaces. This plan is the key development to create this".
Cllr Ryan MacKintosh, for Inverness West, said: "This council has been talking of doing something to address the problem of Academy Street for years. We have a brilliant opportunity now, thanks to funding from the Scottish Government.
"We cannot vote to do nothing now".
