High Life Highland keen to kick off recruitment drive to open toilets – Depute Inverness Provost Bet McAllister has raised concerns with Highland Council over staff shortages which led to a lack of facilities at Bught Park and Culloden
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Staff shortages mean hundreds of footballers using community pitches – without access to toilets – are being forced to risk breaking the law by spending a penny outside.
While football and shinty pitches are used at Bught Park and Culloden by the local amateur league and others on a pay and play basis, toilets that should be open for users have been shut by High Life Highland.
The charity – which delivers leisure services on behalf of Highland Council – is keen to recruit staff to open the loos.
This cannot come soon enough for Depute Inverness Provost Bet McAllister (pictured), who has raised concerns with the council.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that our local amateur footballers aren’t allowed to use these toilets at Bught Park and Culloden on a socially distanced basis,” she said.
“More than 160 players and coaches are at games at the Bught any night of the week for three hours each night, without any toilet access.
“Let’s face it, this leads to some using public places, close to a housing area with many children.
“It’s extremely unfair to families and footballers alike.”
She continued: “Covid restrictions have only just been relaxed to allow these teams to get back on the pitches, which is good for their health and wellbeing.
“They’re still not allowed to use changing rooms, which we have to accept until rules are relaxed. But banning them from the toilets just isn’t sensible – and risks creating a public nuisance.”
She continued: “I’ve asked for High Life Highland, who generally do a great job, to think again on this issue. I hope the penny will drop and they’ll allow the footballers to spend a penny, as it were.”
Shane Carling, the manager of Loch Ness FC, said: “We need them. No two ways about it, we cannot have the pitches open and a return to playing and then ask players who come from miles away to not use a toilet.
“If they need a number two, what are they supposed to do? If you need to go, you need to go.
“I have concerns that players might need to go so desperately that they will need to use the parkside, and no one wants that.
“Football is vital in the mental wellbeing of many players, let’s get them playing and having the facilities that they need.”
Donnie Stuart, of the Inverness and District Football Association, said: “We want players to be back playing, and I know that there is a problem with the toilets at Bught Park, but what we don’t want is to stop people playing football.
“I think there has to be a bit of understanding around High Life Highland’s predicament, as they are not keeping them closed through choice.”
Graham Cormack, the national development manager of the Camanachd Association, said it was happy to help.
“If there is a problem we will support Inverness Shinty Club in discussions with High Life Highland to resolve it in line with government guidelines and sportscotland.”
A spokesman for High Life Highland said: “We are currently recruiting for staff to allow us to undertake enhanced cleaning that is required to enable us to open toilet facilities for teams at Bught Park.
“We would expect this to be completed in the next few weeks at which point we will be able to allow access for teams to the toilets.”
