INVERNESS BID: Businesses should have a proper say on Academy Street plans
The future of the city centre will now be decided on Thursday, September 14 when the Academy Street plans are considered by the full Highland Council.
Proper consultation and ensuring plans are ‘context and evidence led’ are exercises which must be undertaken in good faith at the crucial formative stages when matters can still be influenced as part of good decision making. This is distinct from any statutory consultation exercise at the later Road Traffic Order stages when the process (aside from minor adjustments) due to the parameters narrowing greatly arguably becomes more akin to showjumping.
Consultation in any years preceding when entirely different and incomparable options were explored is broadly immaterial – not least as the current proposal reflects not the culmination of these exercises but more the apparent inflexibility of the funders criterion to support any alternative plans other than those which result in a ‘high level of service’ per the ‘cycling by design’ criteria (ie a ‘cap’ of 2000 vehicles per day) being applied.
Overall and in general, when an answer is seemingly prescribed before the question is asked, the people and businesses in Inverness and Highland should unequivocally retain the right to have a proper say (whatever their views) in respect to matters which may affect them.
Lorraine Bremner McBride is Inverness BID director.
