Costs of repairs to smashed Inverness building are not yet finalised
A bill to cover the costs to the public purse of repairs to smashed Inverness building are not yet finalised, says Highland Council.
Earlier this month, Donna Stewart (46) was told to expect at least four years behind bars after she crashed a car into the former William Hill betting shop in Pumpgate Stret/Grant Street injuring three men and causing extensive damage in January 2021.
She pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving while intoxicated and will be sentenced in October.
The building was rendered unsafe with all the occupants having to be evacuated.
Scaffolding was put in place by the council to stop the building collapsing. An area around the building was blocked off for months.
The council arranged for Laing Traditional Masonry Group to start work on site in June last year with an aim to keep any disruption to the local community to a minimum. It completed its work earlier this summer.
A council spokesperson said: “The building at Pumpgate Street, Inverness has been handed back to the owners as the works associated with the dangerous buildings notice have been completed.
“Building legislation allows the council to recover any costs incurred in making a building safe. However, the final costs are still being collated as there are a number of different elements to the work including ongoing costs from when the accident first happened.”
