Your views: ‘Building frenzy’ continues to spoil the city
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Readers on city development projects plus views on councillors' working arrangements and town house hire costs.
‘Building frenzy’ continues to spoil the city
Some years ago, soon after Inverness was granted city status, a planning official from Edinburgh was on a visit to the city.
His comments at the time were to the effect that Inverness could not be described as a city and was really only a very large housing estate with nothing of any real interest at its centre.
His comments unleashed a tirade of angry rebuttals from councillors and city officials alike.
Sadly nothing much seems to have changed over the intervening years.
The town centre seems ever more forlorn and neglected and the unstoppable urban sprawl continues unabated.
There is little likelihood of this building frenzy ending any time soon. Buyers from the densely populated south see the wild open spaces of the Highlands as a kind of earthly paradise. They can hardly wait to arrive. And landowners, speculators and developers are equally delighted to welcome them.
I’m surprised we haven’t yet seen some super luxurious highrise apartments springing up along the shores of Loch Ness. All with private helipads, marinas etc. And all completed in the best possible taste of course.
Jim Shanks
Alicante
Spain
Developments increasing strain on services
To Charles Bannerman, I read your article on the Courier online (‘Tell us what will happen if all these houses are built’) and wondered if I might add to it.
You highlighted some developments, yet there are other large developments, at Stratton, Milton of Culloden South, Balloch, Torvean, Nairn West, and the huge one at Tornagrain as well as a number in other towns close to the capital.
These all will have an impact on the infrastructure.
The Highland Council stance seems to be to allow these developments and then use the developer contribution to provide the infrastructure retrospectively. However, because planning applications are considered individually the infrastructure requirements of the city are not included, therefore developments take place and it is only with hindsight that the authorities realise that they should have made a holistic approach.
The existing and new population then have to live with the impact of this, forever.
The infrastructure you highlight is transportation. This is already under significant strain, but consider the health care, dental care, social care as well. Schooling – how many new schools will be built, who will pay for them and who will pick up the cost of running them?
So many people want to come to Inverness for the open space, clean air and proximity to nature.
By allowing all these developments we will remove the very reason for the demand.
By allowing these developments we are taking away land which can provide food, at a time when supply chain stresses have been exposed by Covid, Brexit and the Ukraine war.
This land should be protected for future generations.
Paul Bole
Letter supplied by email
Councillor in call for more consideration
Newly-elected Inverness Millburn councillor David Gregg, a trainee doctor, has told Highland Council it must do more to support working-age councillors. The Lib Dem member spoke out after a late change to a meeting date, pointing out the impact this could have on members who have other work commitments as well as those with children or other caring responsibilities.
“Cllr Gregg is absolutely right – it’s great to see so many young people in the council to balance out the predominance of members who are retired (of which I was one!). But the culture will need to change – older members have much to offer but the Highlands desperately needs to let a new generation make it theirs too.” – Thomas Prag, Inverness
Music society ‘priced out’ of town house
MusicInverness, the Inverness Chamber Music Society, says it has been made “virtually insolvent” by the high cost of accessing Inverness Town House for live music performances.
It also says it often feels regarded as an interloper in the building owned by the Inverness Common Good Fund and has now written to members of Highland Council’s Inverness area committee urging them to commission a business case on improving public access to the building.
“Highland Council, as ever, greedy, lazy and parochial. I speak as a business owner and personal user of facilities. Lack of vision for anything except vast soulless housing developments.” – Janet Walker
“It’s not so much the cost of the venue that’s crippling music, it’s audience indifference, apathy and dwindling numbers of attendees and poor ticket sales as a result for the majority of local groups/collaborations. (I know – been involved for many years). Sign of the times. Without strong fundraising/ benefactors behind musical entities this situation will only continue to deteriorate. You never make money putting on classical gigs. No offence, but there are plenty of venues in and around Inverness to be had on more competitive terms – to survive in this day and age, music needs to be creative – and not just in the playing of notes.” – Paul Wilson
“This is a public building that’s supposed to be open for the public to attend any time. Move the city committee and staff out of the building and open it up as a cheap restaurant and make money for the city instead of having it closed. Pay for admission, a cheap entry fee.” – Allan Dubh-Shith
Related articles: CHARLES BANNERMAN: Tell us what will happen if all these houses are built
Call for council to do more to support working-age councillors
Music society made 'virtually insolvent' by high cost of accessing Inverness Town House
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