A group set up to support the development of the Northern Meeting Park (NMP) in Inverness has questioned Highland Council on what they believe is a lack of investment.
The park is understood to not be receiving the investment hoped for by the community – and instead officers at Highland Council are reported to be planning to only upgrade toilets and create a concrete area.
Posting on its social media page, the Northern Meeting Park Group said it was “extremely disappointed” at the council’s decision and encouraging people to make their feelings known.
The Facebook post said: “Highland Council and High Life Highland are choosing to leave the NMP grandstand as an uninsulated store despite receiving Levelling Up Fund money to invest in the park to help ‘drive the environmental, cultural, and economic regeneration of Inverness’.
Campaigning for years
“We have been campaigning for years to see the building and park, which have been neglected by the council for decades, made into a vibrant facility for local people and visitors.”
The group say that in spite of consultation and ideas put forward by the community, including for a museum of Highland Games and a cycling hub, the proposals are to use Levelling Up Funding to improve the current toilets, to convert a large area of grass into hard standing, and to build a pavilion.
Proposed designs for two major projects in Inverness to go on show
Designs are set to go on show for two major development projects in Inverness following a successful bid by The Highland Council to the UK Government Levelling Up Fund
@HighlandCouncil https://t.co/whcOQ1jO2U
— High Life Highland (@HLHsocial) May 19, 2022
The group continued: “There is also no proposal to make the NMP green space available outwith booked events either, despite the overwhelming support this suggestion has received from local people.”
The NMP is important to Inverness historically, culturally and architecturally. No other city can boast the world’s first purpose-built Highland Games stadium, and its long history of events and sport for more than 150 years.
It added: “The building is also of regional, and, arguably, national importance, due to its design and the fact that it has hardly been altered since it was built.
“We think it deserves to be more than an uninsulated store with toilets, showers and seating.”
What did the community options appraisal say?
An options report prepared after extensive local consultation earlier this year identified all sorts of exciting and new things which could have been developed at the site.
These included:
- a museum of Highland Games
- concert/events facilities
- cycling hub
- outdoor children’s play area
- a dedicated football pitch for the three local schools who use NMP as they have no playing fields
Highland Council has been asked to comment.
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