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Highland Council to make repairs then charge owners due to collapse risk of Inverness building

There are fears the building could collapse. Picture by Sandy McCook.
There are fears the building could collapse. Picture by Sandy McCook.

Highland Council has stepped in due to a damaged Inverness building now posing a risk to public safety.

The former shop on the junction of Grant Street and Lochalsh Road in Inverness was damaged in January 2021 when a Mercedes ploughed into it. 

The crash left four people in hospital and the building unsafe, with the council declaring it uninhabitable until further notice.

Scaffolding was immediately erected around the building, as there was risk of it collapsing into the road. This was intended to be a temporary measure and the two owners were tasked with commencing repair work.

The building after it was hit by a car last January
The building after it was hit by a car last January. Picture by Sandy McCook.

Over a year later, this still has not been done, with the council’s city manager David Haas saying “there is no indication of one of the owners engaging to resolve the issue.”

A risk to public safety has forced the council to issue a second dangerous building notice and get involved in the repairs itself.

‘We have been left with little choice’

Mr Haas said building legislation allows the council to undertake the work on behalf of the owners where there is a risk to public safety.

It will then pursue the owners for recovery of the costs once work is complete.

Laing Traditional Masonry are due to commence works on the building in the next few weeks. Once started, they should take around six weeks to complete.

“We share the frustration with the local community that despite repeated attempts to engage with them, one of the building owners has been unable to arrange the necessary action to reinstate the building,” said Mr Haas.

“We have been left with little choice than to issue a second dangerous building notice on both owners and arrange for Laing Traditional Masonry to undertake the work on their behalf.

“We will be working closely with the contractor to keep any disruption to the local community to a minimum and as soon as we can confirm a start date for the works we will.”

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