Pressure on Highland Council over Academy Street changes ramps up before crunch meeting
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Pressure on Highland Council over its plans for Academy Street has mounted in recent days as more businesses come out against the proposals ahead of a crunch meeting on Monday.
Councillors on the city of Inverness area committee will have to decide then whether to progress the plans or ditch them.
The local authority wants to cut motor traffic on the street by 75 per cent by preventing vehicles using it as a through route. Traffic reduction measures are essential qualifying criteria to access millions of pounds in Scottish Government funding for the work.
This week already two well-established popular businesses – Miele’s Gelataria and Panasonic Inverness – launched scathing attacks on both the plans as set out and the council.
Miele’s fear that the changes will “kill” the business while Panasonic said bringing in the project in a time of crisis is “simply beyond comprehension” and “deeply troubling and is completely reckless.”
Not too late to talk
Julian Diamond from Scoop Asset Management, which runs the Eastgate Shopping Centre, said the council has already been warned about legal action if it proceeds with the plans.
“Our solicitors, Burness Paull, issued a letter to the Highland Council last Friday which clearly sets out our position,” he said. “However, as one of the largest stakeholders in Inverness, our door remains open for discussion on the Academy Street proposals until the motion is decided next Monday.”
Cru Holdings boss and founder member of the Inverness City Alliance Scott Murray also said it was not too late for the council to work with businesses on the issue.
“At this stage, more than anything else I want to tell the council and the councillors one thing: the Inverness business community remains ready to work proactively and collegially to develop plans that work for the city,” he said.
“We really have only one chance to get this project right. We only have one chance to deliver improvements, to move in the right direction and not spend millions of the public purse on something that we strongly believe is harmful and which we are really concerned about.
“Almost all of us with businesses in Inverness city centre are convinced there is a way forward to improve Academy Street without the risk of devastating trade and most importantly risking the employment of our staff.
“Therefore before the Inverness committee meets next week I would like to say now really is the time that we got together, worked together to find a solution, and ultimately deliver for the city.
“Trust has been damaged – no doubt on both sides of this issue – and that is something we need to be careful about but by working together we can build bridges and repair the damage.
“Our doors are always open to those involved in – let’s hope our doors stay open for business too.”
Questions went 'unanswered or unaddressed'
Inverness BID, having surveyed hundreds of their members on two occasions, remain implacable in their opposition to the plans, their criticism of the consultation process and how the whole process has been handled.
BID Director Lorraine Bremner McBride said: “We will likely hear about how the plans will facilitate an economic revival of the area which is still trying to recover from recent challenges but in the current climate this approach hasn’t worked out at all well for businesses in Aberdeen or Glasgow.
“This is also not what our own extensive research has shown. The fact remains that there is no robust quantitative economic data available to support such claims when you properly and diligently scratch beneath the surface.
“We will also likely hear that a trial is not recommended due to there being no planters or café culture in place. These features we suggest should be just a ‘cherry on top’ whereas businesses need to be confident that the scheme will work for them.
“How decisions are taken are as important as what those decisions are. Any fair-minded person would not feel comfortable if cognisant of the full facts that the voice and needs of those city centre businesses who have raised questions or concerns including via BID – many still unanswered or unaddressed – has been properly assimilated.”
Pressure on Highland Council over its plans for Academy Street has mounted in recent days as more businesses come out against the proposals ahead of a crunch meeting on Monday.
Councillors on the city of Inverness area committee will have to decide then whether to progress the plans or ditch them.
The council wants to cut motor traffic on the street by 75 per cent by preventing vehicles using it as a through route. Traffic reduction measures are essential qualifying criteria to access millions of pounds in Scottish Government funding for the work.
Julian Diamond from Scoop Asset Management, which runs the Eastgate Shopping Centre, said the council has already been warned about legal action if it proceeds with the plans.
“Our solicitors, Burness Paull, issued a letter to the Highland Council last Friday which clearly sets out our position,” he said. “However, as one of the largest stakeholders in Inverness, our door remains open for discussion on the Academy Street proposals until the motion is decided next Monday.”
Cru Holdings boss and founder member of the Inverness City Alliance Scott Murray also said it was not too late for the council to work with businesses on the issue.
“At this stage more than anything else I want to tell the council and the councillors one thing: the Inverness business community remains ready to work proactively and collegially to develop plans that work for the city,” he said.
“We really have only one chance to get this project right. We only have one chance to deliver improvements, to move in the right direction and not spend millions of the public purse on something that we strongly believe is harmful and which we are really concerned about. Our doors are always open to those involved – let’s hope our doors stay open for business too.”
Inverness Business Improvement District surveyed its members twice on the proposals and remains opposed to the plans, criticising the consultation process and how the whole process has been handled.
Director Lorraine McBride said: “We’ll likely hear about how the plans will facilitate an economic revival of the area which is still trying to recover from recent challenges, but in the current climate this approach hasn’t worked out at all well for businesses in Aberdeen or Glasgow.
“We’ll also likely hear that a trial is not recommended due to there being no planters or café culture in place. These features we suggest should be just a ‘cherry on top’ whereas businesses need to be confident that the scheme will work for them. How decisions are taken are as important as what those decisions are.”
