Inverness City Centre Road to Remain Closed

Dangerous Building Notices will be sent out today (Wednesday) to individuals with ownership interests in the listed building at the corner of Drummond Street and Union Street, Inverness, which is posing a risk to public safety and has resulted in the closure to all but emergency vehicles on Union Street.

The notices will ask the owners to make arrangements to make safe two chimney heads on the building within seven days.  It is understood this will require contractors deploying two cranes to remove the stacks and at a later time reinstate them.

The Council will step in should the owners – for any reason - fail to comply with the notices.

Shops on Union Street remain open and pedestrian access has been maintained. 

However, vehicular access from Academy Street to Union Street is restricted to emergency access.

And there is no access between Drummond Street and Union Street and two charity shops on Drummond Street will remain closed until the chimney heads are removed.

A spokesman for the Council said it was not possible to estimate the duration of the disruption to movement in this part of the city centre.

He said: “The owners will be sent a letter explaining the implications of the notice, which will  specify seven days for the building to be made safe. This can be extended if necessary and if no action is taken then the Council can step in; carry out the works; and seek to recover costs. We have no reason to believe this will be necessary however.”

The health and safety risks were identified on Tuesday following a survey of building facades in part of Inverness city centre, associated with the Inverness Streetscape programme currently under way. It resulted in immediate action to restrict all but emergency vehicular access to Union Street and Drummond Street. 

A number of defects of varying risks have been identified in other properties on Union Street and owners of the properties will be contacted as soon as possible to advise them of the need for essential repairs

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Council in connection with the second phase of the Streetscape Programme. Union Street and the mid-section of Church Street closed on Monday 12 November for up to 33 weeks to allow the scheme and water mains renewal works to progress as quickly and safely as possible.