Group keen to influence historic Inverness park's future
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CAMPAIGNERS working to secure community ownership of a historic Inverness park have suffered a blow after a funding bid was turned down.
The Northern Meeting Park Group (NMPG) applied to the Scottish Land Fund for £25,000 to carry out a feasibility study, create a business plan and consult the public on plans to regenerate the city centre green space.
It wants to breathe new life into dilapidated buildings while opening up the park to broader public use.
But the application was knocked back on the grounds that other funding bids were unlikely to be successful, given that park owners Highland Council has its own plans.
NMPG trustee Jon Ford has been keen to discuss the best way forward with the council, as well as neighbouring Eden Court and park manager High Life Highland.
The setback came as NMPG celebrated gaining charitable status, giving it greater scope to raise funds.
NMPG’s vision for the park includes exhibitions, childcare services, social enterprise as well as outdoor theatre and cinema screenings.
It also wants to bring back popular events like the Marymas Fair and the Highland Military Tattoo.
Mr Ford said: “It was certainly a bolt from the blue to learn that Highland Council has been working on its own plans. It turns out, towards the end of last year, a rapid review group looked at how they could make better use of the park and make money.
“There was a quick consultation to identify stakeholders and we’re disappointed that ourselves, along with the primary schools and cricket club who are significant users, weren’t included.
“The review’s recommendation was that park management should be taken over by High Life Highland and Eden Court, in partnership, but there was no meat on that bone at all.
“The council saying they have plans for the park has blown our funding bid out of the water.”
Mr Ford hopes charitable status will improve NMPG’s chances of influencing future use.
“We’d be delighted to see the park being used and managed by anyone, so long as it is open for use by the community and current users are consulted,” he said. “My concern is this will just drag on and the park will be left as it is.
“We hope charitable status will give us more credibility with the council. We have credibility within the community and we need to get the council to understand we’re not the enemy.”
