Calum Ross
Police were called when a lorry got stuck after heading up a narrow street in an Inverness neighbourhood.
The driver was believed to be trying to make a delivery to a construction site at the former Midmills College in the Crown area of the city, but arrived after it had closed for the day.
Unable to park nearby, he reportedly continued along Crown Avenue towards the Velocity Cafe junction but could not reverse out of the tight street.
Local residents who tried to assist the driver on Monday evening said they had previously complained to Highland Council that there should be signs on the road warning delivery drivers.
After about an hour-and-a-half, the owner of a parked car was traced and moved the vehicle, enabling the lorry to turn onto Stephen’s Street.
New housing for older people is currently being built at the Midmills site by developer McCarthy & Stone and Highland Council.
A local authority spokeswoman said: “This is work being undertaken by McCarthy & Stone and not the Highland Council.
“This was an unauthorised delivery, the process for deliveries is they phone ahead to the site and arrangements are made as to what times they are allowed to deliver and the correct access given.”
The Press and Journal contacted McCarthy & Stone for comment but the firm had not responded last night.
The B-listed main building on the Midmills campus is also due to be brought back into use as studio facilities for artists and others involved in the creative industries.
The Wasps Trust is progressing the £5million plans for the Grade B-listed building, which housed Inverness Royal Academy from 1895 to 1979, before becoming a campus for Inverness College UHI.
It has been vacant since the college moved to its base at Beechwood two years ago, with councillors backing a plan to transform the site in August last year.
McCarthy & Stone is building 53 private retirement apartments for over-60s at the site, while Highland Council will create 30 affordable homes for the over-55s.
