Highland Council grants permission to marquee at Inverness Ice Centre
A SEASONAL marquee outside Inverness Ice Centre has been granted planning permission by Highland Council.
The marquee, which has been erected inside the car park, is part of efforts by the ice rink to attract more non-ice events outside its busier months – with the tent providing an outdoor seating and bar/catering area that can be used by the seasonal events taking place inside.
The rink's ice plant was switched off between mid-April and July to save on high costs of running it all year round, with the charity which runs the site then hosting a variety of off-ice events in order to generate additional cashflow.
The marquee resulted in the temporary loss of roughly seven car parking spaces, which initially sparked an objection by Highland Council's transport planning department over the potential for overspill into surrounding roads in Bught Park.
But a response by the applicant was deemed "acceptable" and, given the lower volume of traffic that normally makes use of the car park during the summer – as well as the marquee's temporary nature – it was decided instead to monitor any potential impact on traffic going forward.
Granting permission, planning officers said: "The marquee is to be erected and taken down each year during the summer months to be used for summer camps and events.
"There will be a loss of seven parking spaces as a result of this development however, due to the temporary nature of the marquee and the summer period being the quieter season for the ice rink, it is possible that the road network will not be hugely impacted.
"A temporary permission would be considered most appropriate for now to allow ongoing monitoring of parking and traffic flows on the local road network by the council local area roads office."
Non-ice events the rink has hosted this year include the popular annual Strictly Inverness dance contest in May, professional darts in June, and the sold-out Callum Beattie gig on June 3.
There was also the return of Ness Gin Fest on June 17, and the Whisky Over Ice event on June 24.
Related: Marquee plan for Inverness Ice Centre lodged with Highland Council
