John has drawn our attention to trouble brewing over the site of the UHI in Inverness. He suggests:
'Well if they can't decide about having it in Inverness why not Nairn? Here is an alternative for Nairn town centre redevelopment! Just think, Nairn - a university town.'
His thoughts are echoed by someone commenting on the Inverness Courier article that reveals the situation to the world:
'Anyone with half a brain would not build the University at Beechwood or at the Longman.Either of these sites would only add to the cities traffic congestion problems.Best places, North Kessock or Nairn. Keep traffic out of the city area, not add to it.'
Sounds good, a Uni would be an excellent idea, it could go next to Sainsbury's or on part of Sandown/Delnies or, yes indeed, in the town centre.
A site of pilgrimage already and with a University we would be so unstoppable. The Canterbury of the North? That is if Canterbury has a Uni?
3 comments:
And why not.
If not the whole Uni, then at least a part of it.
I can see it now, classics scholars gaily punting under the jubilee bridge, pale and interesting floppy haired students languishing wanly by the bandstand brideshead revisited style and ruby teams drinking beer from their jockstraps in the Vic.
While we're at it, what about the mooted Highland Art Gallery - the Inverness, sorry, Highland Council were touting various unsuitable sites around Inversnecky, but why not look at the bus station site for a groovy modernist building or the old church across the road for a more traditional location, or how about an Art Gallery of Dreams in the Ballerina ?
This connects with some of the discussion we've been having, which is still going on, over on MyNairn. It started with a post on Balblair and has now broadened into a debate about development in Nairn.
Locating (part of) UHI in Nairn is a really sensible and imaginative idea. Not only would it relieve some of the congestion and pressure in Inverness, but it would diversify Nairn's economy, attract related services and business, and create real jobs.
But can we really expect local and regional decision-makers to be sensible and imaginative - or to agree to anything which might erode their vision of growth centred on Inverness city?
The vision for our esteemed 'local and regional decision makers' seems to be disproportionately influenced by heavyweight vested interests in Inverness.
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