Highland Council abandons plans to redesign Academy Street after legal challenge

Highland Council has abandoned plans to partly pedestrianise a shopping street in Inverness.

The vote came moments after councillors agreed – in private session – to abandon an appeal against a Court of Session ruling that it failed to properly consult the public about its ambitions.

The proposals for Academy Street, including limits to private vehicles, were challenged by the owners of Eastgate Shopping Centre.

Trustees of the shopping centre argued that a proper consultation had not been held and that councillors had failed to consider the impact that the plan had on local businesses.

Lord Sandison upheld a legal challenge last month, stating that Highland Council did not intend to run a “substantively unfair consultation exercise”.

It was added that, with hindsight, “their actions were calculated to, and did, produce a consultation which was unfair to and beyond the point of unlawfulness.”

Councillors voted 30-23 to drop the Academy Street scheme and for its city committee to review the entire process at a later date.

The council’s proposals aimed to reduce traffic in the city centre to make it more attractive for walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users.

It would have included stopping through traffic in Academy Street and adding bus lane sections between the junctions of Union Street and Queensgate.

Scoop Asset Management, representing the Eastgate shopping centre, said: “We were pleased to hear the outcome of the vote made earlier today and thankful that common sense has prevailed.

“To abandon the scheme altogether is somewhat disappointing as everyone agreed that Academy Street is in need of some tender loving care.

“However, officers will have known that dealing with such an important thoroughfare in isolation was never going to be a satisfactory long-term solution. The scheme had the ‘potential’ to split the City Centre in half and have a catastrophic impact on businesses but for no good reason.

“Surely the way forward now, is for officers to produce a long term cohesive town centre master plan, if there isn’t one already, with a focus on improving accessibility for all forms of transport to & from the City Centre taking into account, for example; travel hubs, public transport, park & ride, level-crossings, etc.

“A joined-up approach for a successful future City which includes streetscape improvements, traffic calming measures, speed restrictions, making it safer for pedestrians, those with mobility issues, parents with young children and cyclists. This of course would be subject to a formal consultation.”