Big Inverness parties hosted by Highland Council – including the popular Hogmanay and firework extravaganzas – could be privatised.
The move would aim to end the need for the city’s common good fund bankrolling them.
The proposal has won unanimous support of city councillors in response to a plea by central ward member Donnie Kerr, who has argued for years that the £30million fund should not be used for such purposes.
He convinced colleagues that finance chiefs should draft a plan, within the year, outlining how to attract “external business support or sponsorship for events, to reduce the burden on the common good fund”.
The radical step followed a city committee debate at which councillors approved £320,000 of funding for the 2017 Inverness Highland Games and gala, Halloween events, fireworks display, Christmas lights switch-on, Winter Wonderland event and Red Hot Highland Fling.
Councillor Kerr, a member of the Highland Alliance group, told colleagues he was “amazed” by the events’ dependence on the fund.
“We’re failing miserably. What we’re getting is a creeping increase in the costs – solely from the common good fund,” he said.
“I read in the P&J recently that all the B&Bs, hotels and restaurants were full. If they’re showing such good returns they can afford to input, as well as keeping on taking out.”
Liberal Democrat city councillor Carolyn Caddick has said much the same for several years.
She said: “We need to be looking more actively at third party sponsorship.
“We’re not seeing any business putting money back into the city developments in the way we would expect them to. We should at least offset some of the costs or have some recompense for the common good fund.”
Fellow LibDem Kate Stephen suggested that local charities get involved by sponsoring the events while getting a return on their investment to boost their income.
SNP member Ken Gowans was confident that some of the events would attract commercial sponsors.
City manager David Haas highlighted the economic spin-off from the events but said businesses were “struggling” and “reckoned on the support” they get from the common good fund, which he said was “there to generate vibrancy and business activity in Inverness.”
