Tilting pier plans sunk by council vote

Inverness councillors have sunk plans to build a £300,000 tilting pier on the banks of the River Ness. Nearly £75,000 has been spent on developing the controversial project which will no longer go ahead. It's after Highland Council this afternoon held a meeting in its chamber in which the capital's councillors voted to scrap the proposed tourist attraction. Its backers had promised it would rake in £150,000 in new income for Inverness, and therefore pay for itself within two-years. Public officials had previously confirmed that the outdoor artwork would be built on the banks of the River Ness - opposite Eden Court - by June 2017, if councillors voted to give the project planning permission to build. That's despite the backlash on social media, and over 2,000-people backing an internet petition to halt the project which has already used a fifth of its budget. Most of the money - 60-per-cent or £180,000 - going towards the tilting pier was either national arts funding or specifically granted on condition that the finance was spent on making sure the see-saw structure went ahead. Now the local authority faces being forced by Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to give back the funding. Council workers are currently looking into alternative projects to replace the pier, and are hoping to gain permission from the orgnanisations to keep the grants and use them to pay for something else. MFR News reporter Bryan Rutherford speaks to Highland Council leader Margaret Davidson who warns more public money may be needed to pay for the remaining outdoor artworks.