THE future of Grant Street’s Welfare Hall was once again the subject for discussion at a special meeting of Merkinch Community Council, held recently in the Community Centre.

Among those present were Ken Macleod, who claims title to the hall on behalf of Inverness Judo Club, Councillor Peter Corbett and former councillor Ali Maclean, Highland Council Inverness Area manager Chris Claridge, who chaired the meeting, Colin Downie of Merkinch Enterprise – which has in the past outlined various plans for the building – Merkinch Traders Association, and members of the Community Council. It was agreed at the start to put aside the question of title, and how the now derelict hall, built with money raised publicly, had come to fall into the hands of a club which had not used it for many years and concentrate on looking forward to its future.

Mr Macleod said, “I would like to see the hall returned to the community with Judo a part of it,” adding that he took the view that they were holding it in trust for the community. Judo, he believed, was good for keeping kids off the streets. “My thoughts on the hall are very complex,” he admitted, and went on to list the building’s shortcomings.

These included two 19th century rubble walls at the back and one side, said to be bulging, a defective roof, and dry rot at the front. He understood it would cost £150,000 to restore as it is, but this would have very limited use. Others agreed that the sum required to make the hall useful would be much more.

Mr Claridge asked what uses the community would want to see the building put to, in order to ascertain whether these could possibly attract funding. “At the end of the day,“ he said, “the uses have to justify funding.” Possible uses had been collected in the past by News & Views, but it was agreed that to update such a list at present would only raise expectations for a process that could take two or three years. It was agreed to have the building surveyed to ascertain the cost of refurbishment and adaptation to modern community needs.