Latest news with #Ironworks
Wales Online
6 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
Woman hit in face with glass after trouble breaks out at city centre bar
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A woman suffered a head injury after a glass struck her when trouble broke out at a city centre bar. At about 4am on Sunday, May 26 2024, police officers on patrol were flagged down outside the Ironworks bar in Wrexham, Mold Crown Court heard. Prosecuting Elen Owen said door staff were restraining Abby Parker, who was described as intoxicated. Officers established she had been involved in a "physical incident" with her victim. Parker, 25, of Corunna Court, Wrexham, had been out, when two women she didn't know got into an altercation and she ended up being shoved. Security staff were removing the women and at this stage the defendant felt her hair being pulled, she was grabbed by the face and her glasses fell off. She was "upset and confused" and "couldn't see what was happening", said Ms Owen, and in panic she threw a glass in her hand which struck the victim on the forehead, leaving a cut measuring 2cm x 1cm. Parker admitted wounding causing GBH without intent. The court heard she had no previous convictions or cautions and had been a person of "good character". Phillip Tully, defending, said Parker had reacted when she was being attacked, had entered an early guilty plea, was remorseful, the incident was "out of character", she was hard working and highly thought of by people, who had sent letters of support. "It was a reckless act," rather than an attempt to assult the victim, he said. Judge Simon Mills said, given the circumstances, she would not be sent to prison, but stressed it was a "serious offence" and said glass attacks in his experience were dangerous and had even resulted in a fatality, when a person suffered a neck injury. He sentenced Parker to an 18 months community order with 120 hours unpaid work and a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement. She must also pay £600 compensation to the victim and a statutory surcharge. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here Find crime figures for your area
Press and Journal
12-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Revealed: Owner of Ironworks site has new plans for iconic Inverness venue
The owner of the Ironworks site has told the Press and Journal he has new plans for the former much-loved concert venue – but is 'keeping them to himself' for now. We revealed in February that plans to build a hotel at the Academy Street site had been axed. In 2022, developer Bricks Group secured planning permission to replace the Ironworks with a 155-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel as part of a £30 million project. The Ironworks closed its doors in February 2023 but more than two years later there has still been no sign of demolition beginning. Following an investigation, The P&J published that official documents show the sale of the building to Bricks Group never actually took place. The iconic building was acquired for £1 in 2016 by Upland Properties Limited, an Aviemore-based company controlled by Inverness businessman David Cameron. Mr Cameron, who is also a former director for Caley Thistle, has now revealed he has been drafting new plans for the former Ironworks site. Following our investigation, Bricks Group reached out to the Press and Journal to confirm the hotel development would no longer go ahead. A spokesperson said: 'The Marriott hotel development, optioned by Bricks Capital Holdings (now called RedBook International), is not going ahead and the application is withdrawn.' The group explained that they had an option to buy the building related to the planning proposal. However, they confirmed that they never actually owned the site. In January, the P&J phoned David Cameron and asked him if Upland was still the owner of the building. He said: 'No.' When we pointed out to him that according to the official register it still was, he replied: 'If you're telling me, you know better than me, so you just do what you want. 'You do what you want, you seem to know everything, on you go.' The Press and Journal has since managed to get Mr Cameron on the phone again. We explained to him that Bricks has confirmed they have withdrawn their application. We asked the businessman if he has any ideas for the future of the building. He replied: 'I have. But I'm keeping that to myself.' He then hung up. Inverness Central councillor Michael Gregson, a member of Highland Council's South Planning Applications Committee, said it'd be 'lovely' to see David Cameron sharing his plans for the site. He said: 'It'd be lovely to think that the public was involved in whatever the plans were. 'You don't expect massive consultation in the way that a public body would do, but I would hope that Upland and Mr Cameron will want to speak to people about it and work with others towards something that's beneficial for all. 'But yeah, it'd be quite a lot to expect him to reveal his plans before he was absolutely certain about what he was doing.' The Labour councillor is worried about the 'high rate of unused properties in the city centre.' 'There are many underused spaces, and we don't really just want a city centre which is unusable,' he said. He thinks the Ironworks was a 'positive' venue and that another hotel in Inverness was 'hardly getting the blood rushing.' However, he thinks it would be unlikely to see the Ironworks reopening 'exactly as it was.' He explained: 'It's very difficult to see a venue for a thousand people thriving at the moment, because medium-sized venues are probably what we need more of. 'I'm all for having more performance and creative activity and, you know, the entertainment sector needs a boost, but it would be difficult to envisage the Ironworks just reopening trying to get a thousand people on a regular basis.' Inverness Central councillor Michael Cameron said there is still 'demand for a venue of the type and scale of the Ironworks.' He explained the site owner 'is free to share whatever he wants.' However, he insists that 'when any application is made it must be done publicly.' He said: 'I think there is a demand for a venue of the type and scale of the Ironworks and certainly one that could incorporate all the community activities that went on between gigs being held there. 'Whether that needs to be the Ironworks building is a different question, there is no doubt there have been many memorable nights at the venue but there were some disadvantages too. 'I would support any venue that could offer the facilities that the Ironworks did.' Nick Laidlaw, guitarist for Highland band Aklias, performed at the Ironworks over a dozen times with former metal group Seed of Sorrow. The Invernessian told The P&J: 'It's extremely annoying to see what used to be such a great and important music venue lying empty, due to what seems to be no reason.' He thinks closing the Ironworks to replace it with a hotel in the first place was 'complete nonsense.' He said: 'Our city has enough hotels but a music venue with such a large capacity that caters to all genres of music? We don't have one now. 'Thank goodness for The Tooth and Claw and the Market Bar for keeping things going since. 'The Ironworks brought acts from all over the world to the Highlands. 'And if you live up here, you'd probably agree that the alternative would be to travel down to cities such as Glasgow or Edinburgh to see some of your favourite artists touring in Scotland. 'I'd say it was culturally important. With so many sold out shows it really brought a consistent stream of revenue to the city centre, and ironically that included hotels. 'It's heart-breaking to see The Ironworks lying so empty and lifeless now. A building that brought so much joy in Inverness stripped back to nothing.'
