Appalling to let all these small businesses close after all the hard work they have done in getting up and running also the donations and volunteer work going to waste. Anyone can see it's not one business you just have to look around the place to see that you pay at seperate tills! That end of town is an utter disgrace and so no one wanted to go to that part especially me until the village opened. It's not the first time I have been accosted for money on the streets down there and seen drug addicts injecting heroin on the steps of the Waverley centre. The highland council should be trying to make that part of town more appealing. Surely it's better to have small businesses in the shops paying lower rates than to have the shop buildings left empty, an eye sore and no rates coming in and I don't just mean the village! The rates in Inverness must be the highest in Scotland. I've seen so many small businesses have to close due to the rates such as pyramid and other businesses struggle from one month to the next.
A
Anonymous
12 years ago
Appalled at this ruling. What chance is there for small traders to generate footfall, income, bring life to the increasingly bleak city centre? All those millions spent on cobbles and artwork but at the same time this imaginative venture is to be closed. Inverness has enough car baased out of town shopping centres - the heart of the town is dying.
M
Margaret Mackenzie
12 years ago
This place was giving the baby clothes donated away free ! don't shut it, find ways of supporting it and concentrate on what is really damaging the city centre.
A
AnneMette
12 years ago
Please why is it that every GREAT idea there dont include : Gambling shop,Charity shop in Inverness.But a great place like The Village has to close down !!! I just dont get it..
A
Anonymous
12 years ago
Anything that helps revive town centre shopping should be encouraged. What is the point of empty buildings.
T
Toby
12 years ago
I've been in the Village on a number of occasions now and it's an asset to the town centre.
R
Rory Skillin
12 years ago
Let it be
A
Anonymous
12 years ago
This has been a fantastic way to use a space that otherwise would probably still be empty. How else are small business's suppose to compete against all the large soul-less chains that dominate our town centres. Or even worse move out of our town centres to retail parks leaving behind empty abandoned shops.
J
Jacqueline Gray
12 years ago
Open your eyes highland council
F
Fiona Jones
12 years ago
This is such a wonderful concept that should be used as an example for other towns and cities. The council should be proud of what these innovative people have achieved, they should be encouraging and promoting the concept
M
Maryellen Cheal
12 years ago
Anything that is different in Inverness doesn't survive long. Inverness doesn't like change! And they wonder why the young people move south!
K
keith
12 years ago
Christchurch, New Zealand
P
pete smith
12 years ago
the village is one of a small handful of shops worth going into town for. if these interesting places are shut down. people will vote with their feet and go to the mind numbing 'shop by numbers' retail park, like has happened to so many other failing towns ruined by councillors. they must think that the way out of a recession is to charge people with little money, extortionate rates!. this is how marks and spencers, sainsburys and co-op started out.
also the village has a great community outlook. it was the only place open at christmas for people to go in and have a chat and a cuppa tea. perhaps the council will open their doors at christmas next year instead?.
J
John
12 years ago
While local authorities need to generate income, the rates are too high for new businesses to flourish. Surely a better way would be percentacge based on earnings? Eitherway, this is a popular enterprise and the council would be very short-sighted to stop it trading.
A
Anonymous
12 years ago
Ridiculous that you cannot have vision for small businesses or traders with extortionate rates
F
Frank Macdonald
12 years ago
greedy council does not want the city to thrive
D
D. Bowers
12 years ago
The committee members who took this decision are out of touch with the real world. Surely councillors are elected to represent people and opportunities in tough economic times. The elected members involved in this decision need to be named so that the public can remind them of the value of real jobs at their next surgeries…… and the next election.
M
M Bowers
12 years ago
Highland Council - please show a bit more entrepreneurial spirit or you will risk just more empty shops.
B
BRIAN ANDERSON
12 years ago
they made Inverness a City them moved all the shops out to land better used for farming - crazy!
R
Richard Mckay
12 years ago
inverness city centre will have an accelerated death with this
Appalling to let all these small businesses close after all the hard work they have done in getting up and running also the donations and volunteer work going to waste. Anyone can see it's not one business you just have to look around the place to see that you pay at seperate tills! That end of town is an utter disgrace and so no one wanted to go to that part especially me until the village opened. It's not the first time I have been accosted for money on the streets down there and seen drug addicts injecting heroin on the steps of the Waverley centre. The highland council should be trying to make that part of town more appealing. Surely it's better to have small businesses in the shops paying lower rates than to have the shop buildings left empty, an eye sore and no rates coming in and I don't just mean the village! The rates in Inverness must be the highest in Scotland. I've seen so many small businesses have to close due to the rates such as pyramid and other businesses struggle from one month to the next.
Appalled at this ruling. What chance is there for small traders to generate footfall, income, bring life to the increasingly bleak city centre? All those millions spent on cobbles and artwork but at the same time this imaginative venture is to be closed. Inverness has enough car baased out of town shopping centres - the heart of the town is dying.
This place was giving the baby clothes donated away free ! don't shut it, find ways of supporting it and concentrate on what is really damaging the city centre.
Please why is it that every GREAT idea there dont include : Gambling shop,Charity shop in Inverness.But a great place like The Village has to close down !!! I just dont get it..
Anything that helps revive town centre shopping should be encouraged. What is the point of empty buildings.
I've been in the Village on a number of occasions now and it's an asset to the town centre.
Let it be
This has been a fantastic way to use a space that otherwise would probably still be empty. How else are small business's suppose to compete against all the large soul-less chains that dominate our town centres. Or even worse move out of our town centres to retail parks leaving behind empty abandoned shops.
Open your eyes highland council
This is such a wonderful concept that should be used as an example for other towns and cities. The council should be proud of what these innovative people have achieved, they should be encouraging and promoting the concept
Anything that is different in Inverness doesn't survive long. Inverness doesn't like change! And they wonder why the young people move south!
Christchurch, New Zealand
the village is one of a small handful of shops worth going into town for. if these interesting places are shut down. people will vote with their feet and go to the mind numbing 'shop by numbers' retail park, like has happened to so many other failing towns ruined by councillors. they must think that the way out of a recession is to charge people with little money, extortionate rates!. this is how marks and spencers, sainsburys and co-op started out. also the village has a great community outlook. it was the only place open at christmas for people to go in and have a chat and a cuppa tea. perhaps the council will open their doors at christmas next year instead?.
While local authorities need to generate income, the rates are too high for new businesses to flourish. Surely a better way would be percentacge based on earnings? Eitherway, this is a popular enterprise and the council would be very short-sighted to stop it trading.
Ridiculous that you cannot have vision for small businesses or traders with extortionate rates
greedy council does not want the city to thrive
The committee members who took this decision are out of touch with the real world. Surely councillors are elected to represent people and opportunities in tough economic times. The elected members involved in this decision need to be named so that the public can remind them of the value of real jobs at their next surgeries…… and the next election.
Highland Council - please show a bit more entrepreneurial spirit or you will risk just more empty shops.
they made Inverness a City them moved all the shops out to land better used for farming - crazy!
inverness city centre will have an accelerated death with this