YOUR VIEWS: 'Hotels are a contributor to city’s health'
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One reader on how hotels are good for the city – plus views on wheelchair accessibility, public transport and more.
We need to move away from a “glass half empty” attitude in Inverness
I love the Ironworks but hotels bring much needed footfall (and employment opportunities) to the city centre all year round.
Visitors and business people have a high spend per head which benefits local shops, cafés, bars and restaurants more so than customers of the Ironworks do (although customers of the Ironworks do contribute to the city centre economy to a degree) and more so than the homeless hostels and the social housing units that the council seem intent on putting in the town centre.
City centre businesses need footfall, hotels provide the right type of footfall (with spend) so that is good. The Ironworks has a lot of good equipment which can be relocated.
The trick therefore is not to lament the loss of the venue but to start the search for a suitable replacement site for the venue.
What about the old BT building across the road from the Ironworks or a demolition and rebuild of the Spectrum Centre (and adjacent buildings) to provide a combined relocated Ironworks and improved community facility?
Any other positive comments would be welcomed by me.
It’s really not all bad despite the negativity surrounding a new hotel.
Charlie Barbour
Inverness
Help wheelchair users to get out and about
I write to alert your readers to the plight of our invisible citizens here in Inverness. These are the people who have yet to emerge from lockdown and remain confined to their homes while the rest of us are again enjoying the social and cultural life of this amazing city. The reason? The lack of practical public transport, especially for older and disabled adults who find it difficult or impractical to take a bus or book a taxi.
Indeed, as Transport Scotland confirmed in a recent BBC News report, there are just 30 wheelchair accessible taxis for the entire Highland Council area and as few as nine in the Highland capital.
Partnerships for Wellbeing is a small charity which, among other services, provides affordable volunteer-led community transport. A few weeks ago, we acquired a second-hand wheelchair accessible car so that we could extend our service to such “invisible citizens”, many of whom had become prematurely immobilised during the lockdown months because they lost the opportunity to attend physiotherapy appointments and day-care sessions. When word spread about our additional car, we were deluged with calls from disabled adults and their families who told us heart-breaking stories of being trapped at home or of being unwilling to meet friends in restaurants and cafés because they could not be sure of getting a bus or taxi to take them home.
It is now our plan to add additional wheelchair accessible vehicles to our small fleet, but for our service to flourish we desperately need more volunteer drivers to come forward and offer even one half-day a week to help us out. Full training will be provided.
If any of your readers want to know more, please email our transport manager fiona@p4w.org.uk or call 01463 729997.
Jeff Zycinski
Manager
Partnerships for Wellbeing
Wells Street
Inverness
Our transport services could be better
I’m delighted Bill McAllister in today’s column has highlighted the issues faced by transport misery this week (No show by buses is a very serious problem, Courier, 21/6/22).
Bus cancellations are frequent in Inverness and have been for a few weeks, causing profound issues for passengers (as Bill’s article alluded to).
Equally, he was right to highlight the issues to the wider economy thanks to this week’s train strikes.
One other story I’d like to draw your attention to is flights.
With the restrictions on capacity and airline staffing woes, have you seen the prices going from Inverness Airport on some routes?
I booked a week or so ago to go to London, on BA. There were only business class flights available for the beginning of July on one day of over £400.
I’ve been forced to book to go via Manchester on July 1. There was only one flight a day direct to London – down from three in 2019.
James Rorison
Pinewood Court
Inverness
Glad to see an end to electric vehicle grants
At last some good news. The present grant for electric cars of £1500 has been terminated.
More than 11 years ago it was £5000 for a car with CO2 emissions of less than 75g/km.
The grant has been steadily reduced over the years from £5000 to £3500, to £3000, to £2500, to £1500 and now thankfully zero.
Since 2020 £2.5 billion of taxpayers’ money has been paid.
Why have taxpayers been forced to fund those rich enough to buy an electric car?
Clark Cross
Springfield Road
Linlithgow
Offenders are giving back
Volunteers are helping communities by making garden furniture at a workshop in Inverness. The helpers were engaged with the justice system but are continuing to give back even when no longer required, working with the Apex organisation.
“Apex Highland saved and gave me a chance at a new life with over 30+ prison sentences and over 30 years of drug and alcohol addiction. They gave me the support I needed. Am now drug free and in full time employment, have been for over a year. These guys are phenomenal. I still meet with them for my coffee and catch up. I owe them everything.” – Wendy Stuart, Invergordon
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