Highland Council approves licensing application for new Bught Park sports pavilion
A brand new purpose-built sports pavilion at Bught Park has passed another important milestone after it secured licensing permission from Highland Council.
The pavilion, which will also house a shinty museum and is part of a wider multimillion-pound redevelopment of Bught Park’s sports facilities, was granted licensing approval at the council’s latest committee meeting on Tuesday.
It means that, when it finally opens its doors later this year, it will be fully licensed to provide on and off-sales to patrons and customers. This is part of the plan to make the pavilion a true multi-use venue.
In the report that went before the committee, it was explained that the first floor of the building is intended as “a flexible space suitable for various activities both sporting and broader community events offering conferencing, receptions such as weddings, funerals, birthdays, retirements etc., live performances and dance facilities among a range of other activities.
It continued: “The facilities will be made available for bookings with or without alcohol, dependant on the type of event to be hosted, but the operators seek to have the flexibility to sell alcohol if appropriate to do so and requested by those groups.”
The application, which will grant on-site sales from 11am to 1am, seven days a week and off-sales from 10am to 10pm every day, was unanimously approved by the licensing committee.
Committee chairwoman, Cllr Jackie Hendry, said: “I think this is going to be a great facility. Lots of flexibility about what events can be held there. And I think this will be a great asset for Inverness.”
Cllr Duncan Macpherson agreed, adding: “I support the points [the councillor was] making there. I think the set up here at the Bught Park is going to be very similar to what we have at the rugby park further along at the canal parks there.
“I think it's going to be a good offering, going to be well managed and everything I've seen and read about it - and the artist's impressions - they are all filling me with joy and I'm looking forward to when it opens.”
