Hotel boss Donald Macdonald has criticised Highland Council for ignoring his long-running complaint over a flood scheme at his Inverness home.
Mr Macdonald revealed in September he plans to sue the council over the wrangle which he says has cost him nearly £150,000.
He says the proposed legal action is a last resort due to the council’s unwillingness to communicate on the issue.
What’s this dispute about?
The council started the flood relief scheme in 2009 near the home of Mr Macdonald and his wife Christine at Ness Side.
As part of the scheme a bund, or earth mound, was to create a barrier to stop water penetration.
However, Mr Macdonald, founder of Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, says it is defective.
He said that following floods, thousands of tons of stones and gravel accumulated in an area where there was once a pond.
It is claimed the council has been unwilling to clear the build-up.
Mr Macdonald says he has tried unsuccessfully to speak with three council chief executives, including the current boss Derek Brown.
In September the council said it was seeking to rearrange a meeting with Mr Macdonald “in the near future” to discuss outstanding matters.
But Mr Macdonald said there has still been no contact from the authority.
Donald Macdonald says problem is council responsibility
He said: “There is something far wrong within Highland Council, or any public institution, when the chief executive refuses to speak directly with the one of the biggest employers and rate payers within his region and prefers to spend public and charity money on a court process to solve a problem which is fairly and squarely the chief executive and his management team’s responsibility.”
Mr Macdonald has also made a complaint to Police Scotland over matters connected to the case and this is being assessed.
In addition, Macdonald Hotels claims the council has effectively boycotted the business.
A Freedom of Information (FoI) request it made showed the authority spent £476,000 on hotels between 2019-2024.
Only a very small amount was spent in a Macdonald Group venue.
A subsequent complaint was made to the Scottish Information Commissioner alleging some information was missing from the council response.
What is the council saying?
It is further claimed the council failed to respond to a Data Subject Access Request which allows an individual to find what personal data an organisation holds about them.
A complaint was lodged with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on individual complaints.
“A number of hotels, including The Macdonald Hotels, have been used for events in the Highland area throughout 2024, including our housing summit in October.”
The council said previously there is “absolutely no basis“ to suggest it is engaged in any form of ‘boycott’.
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