Your Views: Survey shows cycle support
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Green councillors on a new cycling provision survey, plus a reader's thanks, thoughts on a bid to transform the city's waterfront and more.
Voter’s regret makes no sense
Kevin Stewart’s regret at voting for an Independent in the recent council elections lacks logic (‘Coalition is wrong move’, Courier, 27/5/22). He needs to recognise that the failure in repairing roads etc was down to the Independent, Lib Dem and Labour coalition which ran Highland Council prior to the elections. They even managed to underspend the roads budget.
His assertion that Highlanders don’t want independence flies in the face of recent election results. The SNP won all three Highland constituencies at the Holyrood election last year, hold two of the three at Westminster and deposed the Independents as the largest party in Highland Council, the first time the Independents had not been the largest party.
Munro Ross
Stratton Road
Inverness
Survey shows cycle support
The council/Sustrans-commissioned report on walking and cycling in Inverness (Courier, 19/5/21, Walking and Cycling Index 2021) makes fascinating reading.
We note that 66 per cent of Inverness residents support the creation of more low traffic neighbourhoods, 56 per cent support more cycle tracks along roads, 59 per cent support increasing space for people to socialise, walk and cycle in their local area. Eighty per cent support the creation of more 20-minute neighbourhoods, where essential services are within a 20-minute walk of their home. One quarter of Inverness residents don’t cycle, but would like to if the infrastructure was better.
These are all Scottish Green manifesto commitments and we will be working hard to persuade fellow council members to support these aspirations for Inverness.
Walking and cycling in Inverness, the report finds, prevents an estimated 187 serious long-term health conditions, saving the NHS over £1 million a year, and creates £45.3 million in economic benefits for individuals.
Councillor Ryan MacKintosh, Inverness West
Councillor Chris Ballance, Aird and Loch Ness
Thanks for help after fall
I WISH to say a big thank you to the four people who stopped to offer me help when I tripped in the underpass to Innes Street on Friday, May 20 at around 5pm: the two young lads who stayed with me until my son arrived to take me to A&E – teenagers often get bad press but these two boys went out of their way to help me, they are a credit to their parents – the man on his bike for his first aid knowledge; and the man who lived nearby who went to get paper towels for my wound.
Thank you all so much.
I had to have several stitches but thankfully there was no serious injury and I’m now recovering.
Ken Ross
Inverness
Walk Together for cancer charity
I WANTED to make your readers aware that Bowel Cancer UK, the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity, are calling on everyone to Walk Together this June.
Complete a five-mile walk on Saturday, June 11, or another day in June that suits you, and ask friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you. All you need to do is raise a minimum of £100, which will go towards their vital services and lifesaving research.
Walk Together is a great way to show your support for those undergoing treatment and also remember loved ones. My mum sadly died of bowel cancer when she was only 54, which had a huge impact on my life. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, but it shouldn’t be as it’s treatable and curable, especially when diagnosed early.
Bowel Cancer UK are entirely reliant on the generous support of people like you. Your fundraising will help them save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.
To find out more about Walk Together and sign up, visit Bowel Cancer UK’s website: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/walktogether
Sean Fletcher
Bowel Cancer UK ambassador and TV presenter
Sites to welcome motorhomes
Highland Council is to pilot a scheme allowing motorhomes to park up overnight. Twelve overnight and short-stay car parks across the region have been earmarked to take part in the scheme.
“Delighted to see this initiative, hopefully it will be expanded, in so many places motorhomes are being discouraged to visit by lowering the height of barriers to car parks or banning altogether. Being self contained, hopefully some thought will be given to the availability of waste disposal and possibly topping up water tanks.” – Gavin Grant, Inverness
New trail idea for Inverness land
The man behind the Inverness to John O’Groats Trail is hoping to create a new waterfront walking route. Jay Wilson says disused land between the Caledonian Stadium and Inverness Shopping Park could allow residents and visitors to enjoy the coastline more.
“I toured the area some years ago with the council. It’s much bigger than most people realise and much of it cannot be ‘developed’ because of SEPA regulations – lots of waste which is likely to emit gases for years to come. To my knowledge there has always been a presumption that much of it would become a public coastal green place. There is also a gas main going through it which restricts development close to it. The proposed local plan (still being consulted on) suggests some modest industrial and ‘mixed’ development in a band nearer the A9, which incidentally would generate income – perhaps for the wilder greener area along the coast?” – Thomas Prag, Inverness
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