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Row over grants given to Scottish Open, Belladrum and Black Isle Show

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A row has broken out over grants awarded to high-profile sporting and music events from a historic cash pot.

The Scottish Open, the Belladrum festival and the Black Isle Show are in line to receive £26,000 between them from the 650-year-old Inverness Common Good Fund.

The proposal will be discussed at Highland Council’s City of Inverness area committee next week.

The Scottish Open money – £23,000 – is for promotion, and the Black Isle Show and Belladrum will get £3,000 between them for traffic assessments.

Some Highland councillors are incensed by the plans and believe the events should rely on business sponsorship.

But Inverness city manager David Haas said it was “entirely appropriate” to recommend to members that the money be used “to help facilitate successful events that will benefit the city and its tourism”.

Two Inverness councillors have questioned the proposal on various levels.

Highland Alliance councillor Donnie Kerr said: “These are commercial ventures and should rely on business sponsorship. We’re told it’ll benefit the hotel trade – well, let the hotel trade pay for this.

“We have common good money going into a heap of things it shouldn’t be going into. On the golf issue, I shall be raising considerable questions.”

SNP councillor Ken Gowans said: “All too often the fund is seen as a soft touch.

“While I appreciate the golf tournament brings significant economic benefit to the area, it is a commercial enterprise and I think it’s questionable whether it’s an appropriate use of common good fund money.

“The traffic modelling should be funded by the organisations involved. Their events cause the disruption because they choose to have them on the same days, so they should pay to mitigate.”

Mr Haas said: “The ICGF money for the golf would directly benefit the city itself, with enhanced bedding, extra entertainment through the events and festivals working group, promotional banners and giving a party atmosphere.”

The Scottish Open has also been allocated £33,000 of general Highland Council funding for this year’s event.

Belladrum organiser, Joe Gibbs, said: “Bella has been working with the Black Isle Show and the council to ensure that the traffic plans are as joined-up as possible to improve on last year’s delays.

“The council, who control the roads rather than either event, suggested some traffic modelling to predict flows. We’ve not applied for funds.”

Belladrum organisers propose to open their camp sites and arenas some hours earlier in August in an effort to stagger arrival times.

Rod Mackenzie, of the Black Isle Farmers’ Society charity, echoed Mr Gibbs, confirming that the incentive was offered by council officials to help investigate traffic management issues to avert problems that last year caused huge tailbacks at various pinch-points in and around Inverness.

A study showed the 2011 Scottish Open at Castle Stuart was attended by 51,340 spectators and the event contributed more than £5million to the Scottish economy.

The event has since grown. Phil Mickelson’s win in 2013 reached a worldwide TV audience of over 500 million and generated exposure estimated to be worth more than £53million.

Recent figures showed that Belladrum is worth £6.6million to the Scottish economy, attracting 19,000 people.

The Black Isle Show is said to be worth millions to the economy and averages more than 30,000 visitors over a day-and-a-half.

No-one from the European Tour was available to comment on the Scottish Open last night.