The Inverness City Leader has labelled an empty DIY shop "an eyesore" and has called for urgent redevelopment of the abandoned property.

Ian Brown has written to B&Q chief executive Ian Cheshire asking for talks to discuss the future of the premises on the Carsegate Industrial Estate.

News of the letter was revealed in the Highland News.

The paper reported how Mr Brown wrote to B&Q following the abandonment of the property for five years.

The former B&Q store had become a dumping ground, but the Inverness City Leader wants to see if it can be redeveloped.


Councillor Brown said it was a prime site which could be brought back into use because it dominated a key entry point into Inverness.

"The abandoned site is now showing major signs of neglect and is an eyesore for all to see," he said.

"It is not a good impression, everybody heading north on the road sees it. It looks abandoned, a mess. I would hope my discussions with the B&Q chief executive will spark some urgency to the situation and increase efforts to bring this prime site either back into productive use or allow the site to be redeveloped. The owners of the site Threadneedle Estates and the lease holders B&Q cannot continue to leave this unit in its present condition as to do so would be irresponsible to the people of Inverness.

"It is unacceptable that property owners and leaseholders can appear to walk away from prime sites in the city and abandon them for years simply because they will not negotiate and I hope to persuade them that they have a wider responsibility to break the deadlock."

A spokesman from B&Q said the company would be happy to discuss the empty site with Mr Brown.

(IT)