Inverness MP Drew Hendry to meet Castle Street traders over Spaces for People controversy

MEMBERS of Inverness City Committee will decide on Thursday whether the controversial Spaces for People measures brought in for social distancing should remain or be dumped.

But no matter what is decided, Castle Street traders are wanting to see their part of the city return to how it was, and a meeting with local MP Drew Hendry has been arranged for Friday to state their case.

He will visit Castle Street in person to discuss the concerns of many of the local independent businesses there including Denise Collins of the Castle Gallery art shop, who with fellow traders, has been campaigning to have the barriers and bollards removed, and the one-way system round the Castle abolished.

Ms Collins and several other local business owners including Tania Korad Kennedy of Rouge Boutique, David Traill of J Graham & Co, Norman MacDonald of Cafe1, Jane Macphee of Castle Restaurant and Ian Chisholm of Duncan Chisholm Kiltmaker together with Mike Smith of Inverness BID Inverness, at 11.30am will meet Mr Hendry outside her shop.

Ms Collins said: "We will be discussing the general sad state of Castle Street, building works, the bollards, the one way system, traffic congestion, spaces for people and the councillors' private car park and how these issues are severally impacting on our recovery from Covid."

One of Ms Collins suggestions is that councillors give up their free car park and allow public parking throughout the day and not just in evenings and at weekends.

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