Inverness councillor calls for pause to Academy Street plans
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With controversial Academy Street plans set to be discussed by Highland Council's city of Inverness area committee on Monday a city councillor wants the proposals in their current form to be paused.
Councillor Helen Crawford, a member for Aird and Loch Ness ward and leader of the Highland Conservative Group, says the concerns of local businesses have to be fully taken on board.
She also says the council would be doing Inverness a disservice by basing the plans around suiting a Scottish Government funding stream instead of delivering a tailor-made plan for the city which has widespread support.
“I’m calling for Highland Council to take a pause on the proposals to proceed with Option B on Academy Street," she said.
"Everyone I have spoken to wants to make the old town better but we need to ensure that all stakeholders are on board.
"That includes the many traders, professional firms, hospitality providers and other businesses that provide jobs and deliver services in and around the area. And it includes the people who live in the areas which are expected to host the displaced traffic, such as the Crown.
“My concern is we have not listened sufficiently and learned from them. And they are telling us loud and clear they are concerned about the neighbourhood, jobs and livelihoods.
“Our Inverness traders and businesses have in-depth knowledge of how these streets and roads function because they work there every day. And it is also our job to take on board the views of the areas where folk live, such as the Crown, areas that we are expecting to host much of the displaced traffic.
“It’s Highland Council’s responsibility to learn from that wealth of knowledge and incorporate it into the proposal; then we are far more likely to find a solution that is a long-term success.
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“In fact, I would like to see us go a step further: to create a green solution specifically suited to Inverness and the Highlands rather than shaping a project to suit the terms of a pot of funding from the Scottish Government.
“Surely we Highlanders are better than that? What about getting the basics right? Such as moving the whole area onto a strict street-cleaning schedule; we could do that now if we wished and it’s not rocket science. And we could use our voice to lobby the Scottish Government for a review of compulsory purchase legislation surrounding neglected or vacant buildings. To address the fact that so many of our beautiful buildings are being allowed to lapse into disrepair."
She added: “For all of these reasons, I’ll be calling for a pause, a re-engagement with those who provide jobs, who live and work in the area, incorporating their knowledge into our proposals and then an Economic Impact Assessment.
“That’s the groundwork that people who live and work in the area deserve.”
