Council promises help in promoting market during facelift

The Highland Council has promised Victorian Market traders in Inverness that it will dedicate significant resources towards the promotion and transformation of the shopping centre during a major refurbishment which gets under way on Thursday 20 October.

The Council has assured traders that access to the Market will be maintained at all times during the six-month contract and work is now underway to evaluate a number of schemes and themes which have been suggested as a means to mask the building work that will take place while maintaining the unique atmosphere which makes the Victorian Market so popular with locals and visitors alike.

In parallel with the work to transform the Market physically, the Inverness Festivals Working Group have been asked to add their support by creating a special events and promotions programme for the arcade as part of the Winter Celebrations programme which starts later this month.

Through the Inverness Common Good Fund, the Council is spending £891,000 on repairing the roof and general improvements at the Victorian Market and has advised traders that starting work now is the best time to undertake the essential works. To delay the contract until the Spring of next year would cost £52,000.

Councillor Alex Graham, Depute Provost of Inverness, appreciates  traders' concerns that building works will cause disruption and has called on them to work with the Council in promoting the market while work is in progress.

He said: “Work starts next week so we need to start planning right away how best to meet the challenges of the building works.  The Council has some interesting and imaginative plans to dress the market and to organise events that will attract shoppers to it.

“These will help traders to maximise their business and I hope they will work with the Council to make the best of this situation. They have the Council's full support during this time.”