Claims have been made that cash-strapped Highland Council is blowing money on rates for an unused building which has been derelict for years.
The local authority is currently “redesigning” its entire service structure as it braces itself for a ninth successive year of heavy spending cuts due to reduced government grants.
And, on Friday, a special meeting will reconsider proposals to slash grant support to a long list of voluntary organisations and community groups running local venues.
But last night Inverness Central councillor Donnie Kerr pointed out that at the same time, the former trading standards office is lying empty – while still being paid for.
He said: “The building has been deteriorating for years – while we’re going on about saving.
“For years, I’ve pursued the council to knock down a building which we’re paying a couple of grand of rates on and it’s been going on for about 10 years.
“The building’s roof is collapsing in and we’re still paying rates on it.”
Mr Kerr is awaiting a response to the council, via the Freedom of Information act, about the amount of money he claims has been wasted on the property in Kenneth Street.
No council spokesman could be contacted yesterday.
Mr Kerr has sought answers about all non-residential vacant buildings that the council has paid business rates on over the last decade.
He wants region-wide figures featuring a breakdown of how long each building has been empty and the annual cost of the individual properties’ business rates.
The council was forced to make a record single-year budget saving of £50million in 2016-17.
As the authority awaits financial statements from the chancellor and the Scottish Government in the next month to prepare its books for 2017-18, council finance chiefs have estimated that a further £26million saving is likely to be needed in
Highland next year.
