Glass canopy safety works carried out at Inshes Retail Park

Shops have now re-opened at Inshes Retail Park in Inverness after Highland Council’s Building Standards and Environmental Health Officers revisited to review works carried out to protect the public from unsafe walkway panels.

Following a smashed pane of glass on the 2nd of January at Deichmann, works have now been completed.

Glazing above the entrance on the walkway has been temporarily secured (apart from Brantano, which is currently unoccupied); with fencing and a temporary walkway; and temporary ramps to allow wheelchair access.

There has been a separate issue with the glass canopy outside Dunelm, also at Inshes Retail Park. One of the glass panels above the walkway is cracked, which "appears to be unrelated" to the other incidents, according to Highland Council. The glass has not shattered and the panel is still in place in the canopy. The local authority also say "This canopy is more modern than the other ones running along Deichmann, Hobbycraft and Matalan" and that the glass is "different".

As a precaution, a temporary barrier has been put in place to prevent pedestrian access underneath the cracked panel and the site owner has arranged for a contractor to remove the panel.