New bike shed at Highland Council HQ raises eyebrows but generally welcomed

Highland Council has installed a new bike storage shed at its HQ in Inverness raising eyebrows just a day after it was revealed it had repaired potholes around the building using active travel cash.

The impressive new shelter has secure key fob locking and is well lit with security cameras and provides a repair station for users and it is entirely powered by solar power through the use of battery storage.

But it was paid for using European investment cash aimed at improving low carbon transport within Inverness as similar projects have also been developed at Raigmore hospital and UHI using the same fund.

Now the Inverness Cycling Mayor and Velocity Cafe boss Emily Williams has called for more of the same but for the public, arguing that there is a paucity of places to safely park bikes outside the city centre.

She said: “It is great that staff at Highland Council get this bike shed but I really think we need to work on getting similar storage and parking places for other bike users across the city.

“Secure storage places at home are important because if you live in a flat or anywhere that doesn’t have a garden then this can be a big barrier to cycling because who wants to leave valuable property on the street. I would love to see proper bike storage across the city, especially in areas where there are flats or terraces.

“There is government funding available and I would really like the council to take advantage of it to create storage spaces, usually operated for a nominal fee, so people can park their bikes safely.

“Cycle parking is more short-term for people going to a shop and briefly chaining their bike up outside and that is perhaps an easier thing to address. I think there should be cycle parking available in every Highland Council car park.

“The Inverness active travel map shows the paucity of cycle racks across the city. Most of them are concentrated in the city centre, which is important, but how many people would use a bike for shopping or visiting friends if they had somewhere to park it?”

A Highland Council spokesman said: “The bike storage shed at HQ has been installed as part of a European funded Low Carbon Transport and Travel Project within the City of Inverness. The project is designed to promote active travel throughout the city.

“It has included: active travel link and EV charging at the UHI Campus; bike storage for both staff and visitors and new bus shelters at Raigmore Hospital, increased EV charging within the city centre (Rose Street Car Park); additional EV charging at Bught (Car Park behind Archive Centre), and the innovative off-grid secure bike shelter at council HQ for the use of staff, members and visitors. This is being operated as a pilot study.

“The shelter has secure key fob locking, well lit with security cameras and provides a repair station for users. The shelter is 100 per cent powered by solar PV through the use of battery storage.”

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