Litter is still blighting riverside building site
TALKS are to take place in a bid to clear up an eyesore site at a prominent riverside location in Inverness.
Representatives from developer Tulloch Homes will meet members of Police Scotland and Bear Scotland to find a solution to the persistent rubbish dumping at the former swimming pool site in Glebe Street.
The area – beneath Friars Bridge which is part of the A82 – has also been used as a drugs and drinking den in the past.
The site has been empty since the swimming pool closed almost 20 years ago.
Although Tulloch Homes was given planning permission last year for 60 flats and parking at the site, work has still to begin.
Last summer, Highland Council took action to clear up rubbish from the area as a one-off.
But it stated at the time that the land did not belong to the local authority and would not be routinely maintained.
Tulloch Homes also insisted the area was outside its boundaries.
But the firm has pledged to take action with rubbish once again blighting the location.
"While the area concerned is not on our land, we’re willing to do what we reasonably can on the matter," a Tulloch Homes spokesman said.
"Following discussions last week, we have arranged to meet representatives of Police Scotland and Bear Scotland at the location to see what can be mutually agreed and progressed.
"The problem seems to be on external access steps near and below the bridge, and it is to be deplored that people are using that area for such purposes.
"Our experts are working on the Glebe Street apartments complex with a view to lodging a detailed planning application as soon as is practicable."
Pat Hayden, chairwoman of Crown and City Centre Community Council, was pleased to hear that the developer was seeking talks with other agencies with a view to resolving the issue.
"The problem is the area is tucked away so no-one sees it happening," she said.
"Once the police are alerted to it they can include it in their patrols.
"As a community council, we liaise with our local community policeman.
"If we find evidence of a drinking den, we tell them and they include it in their patrols.
"I have every faith that once they are aware of this spot they will sort it out as well."
Mrs Hayden said that with the main tourist season now starting, it was even more important to ensure the centre of Inverness was looking its best.
She also pointed that the eyesore site was next to the completed flood defence walls which had been completed last year beside the River Ness.
"The wall looks lovely," she said. "It is a shame, if this spoils the area.
"Last week, the weather was glorious and brought a lot of people into Inverness. No-one wants to see an eyesore like this."
But Mrs Hayden believed that the longer-term solution would be the development of the Glebe Street flats.
She recalled issuing a warning following last year’s clean-up that the rubbish would soon build up again.
"I presume that when the construction is done, there will no longer be this tidy hole for people to gather and to use," Mrs Hayden said.
Numerous complaints about the litter-strewn location were made by local residents last summer, prompting the council to take action. They voiced frustration, maintaining the rubbish had built up over several months.
