Better lighting for art gallery path to be considered
Councillors on Highland Council’s south planning committee will consider next Tuesday a planning application, from Highland Council, to refurbish the area’s "urban environment".
The plan is to complement improvements to the grounds of Inverness Castle when its viewing platform was installed and became a major visitor attraction in the city.
Part of the vision is to have Castle Wynd beside the Town House converted to a shared access route used by both pedestrians and vehicles with no pavements, although this does not form part of the planning application.
Controversially, this will mean the loss of the existing taxi rank, although Inverness Taxi Alliance has objected to this move.
The improvement plan includes erecting steel fins with built-in variable coloured lighting, and putting a new grey metal "cosmetic" cladding on the Imag building, which has been slated locally as being an eyesore.
It is described in the planning report as being a typical example of 1960s/70s "brutalist architecture".
The lighting fins are to be considered as art works, although they double as waymarkers and help screen some unsightly areas. The fins and the planned new lamppost will be positioned against existing walls to "minimise the potential for pedestrian clashes."
The RNIB Scotland has written to Highland Council expressing concern at the proposal to have Castle Wynd shared by pedestrians and vehicles.
However the planning report states that "significant street works" for Castle Wynd were submitted for information only and do not form part of the planning application. The report reminds members that any work by a roads authority such as Highland Council for maintenance or improvement to a road does not require planning permission.
RNIB Scotland claims there has been "limited public consultation" and is also concerned at the "unconventional lighting proposed in this scheme" which they fear "may also be potentially distracting and disorientating for vulnerable pedestrians, particularly blind and partially sighted people."
Dr Catriona Burness, RNIB Scotland’s parliamentary and policy manager, said in a letter of objection: "The development is all the more disappointing as together with representatives from Guide Dogs Scotland, Highland Cycle Campaign, Living Streets, Sight Action and the Inverness Access Panel, we have been engaging with Highland Council officials over several months on tackling street clutter around the centre of Inverness."
The steep Castle Steps leading from Castle Road to Castle Wynd, are also in line to have the fins lighting, and the public toilet on Castle Wynd is to be re-rendered.
Inverness Taxi Alliance (ITA) chairman Andrew MacDonald said they objected to the loss of the Castle Wynd taxi rank on various grounds including that it is a considerable distance for handicapped people to walk to the two major ranks in Academy Street.
He added: "We have had meetings and lodged an objection. Castle Wynd is very busy at weekends. Although it is officially only for about four taxis, you can get more than 20 operating there continually on a Saturday night.
"Taxi spaces keep getting cut back. We have lost some to the Car Club, and also to temporary bus stops in Eastgate that became permanent.There is no logical reason to do away with the Castle Wynd rank."
