Inverness BID looking for answers on Academy Street plans
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Inverness BID said it is waiting to hear what members think following last week’s information sessions on Academy Street plans organised by Highland Council.
BID director Lorraine Bremner McBride said that feedback from businesses would shape its official response to the current proposals, known as Option B.
However she added: “That said, our recent BID survey which attracted over 150 responses (a sample size five times that used to make the original decision on ‘Option B’ and thus much more statistically representative of our population) found that 75 per cent of respondent business prior to the information sessions held March 14-16 were either ‘dissatisfied or very dissatisfied’ with the information and consultation process to date.
“We hope the recent ‘Information Sessions’ will record an improvement in respect of this finding but it does reiterate the importance of meaningful consultation with stakeholders being undertaken at formative stages when matters can still be properly influenced is an important factor for our members which must extend beyond ‘here it is – any questions or feedback’ with ‘consultation’ pertaining then to the detail of Traffic Regulation Orders only.”
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She said members would need clarity on a number of issues including what “essential business access” actually means, where the 6500 vehicles a day to be re-routed away from Academy Street will go and what happens if the figure of 2000 vehicles a day it is said should be the limit of the number allowed to access the street is exceeded.
And she added: “Overall, concerns raised by some of our members include that it already remains economically a precarious time, proposals do not always appear to be ‘context or evidence led’ and that without sufficient infrastructure and incentives in place first such as reliable, cheap and wrap-around public transport alternatives at minimum, it remains a risk.”
