Councillor's walkabout tour of Watten uncovers multiple issues
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A Wick and East Caithness councillor highlighted path and road issues in Caithness after visiting the village of Watten in a bid to promote safer routes to school.
Councillor Jan McEwan recently attended a meeting of Watten Community Council and was invited to do a walkabout tour of the village with two of its members to witness some of the ongoing problems.
"I found to my amazement that some of the issues had been reported in 2015 and no action had been taken [by Highland Council]," said Cllr McEwan. She noted how an area of path on Station Road beside the old Toll House had become overgrown with tree branches, shrubs and weeds.
"This is on a 'safe route to school' [a Highland Council initiative] and children cannot access the path. The bus shelter needs to be moved up to the proper bus stop just past the school and the zigzag lines at the school need refreshed. We need traffic calming measures as cars come flying through the village at nowhere near 30mph."
The councillor, who is also Wick's provost, then highlighted another issue in the village that she says is replicated across Caithness – blocked drains. Walking from Station Road and along Banks Road she showed how many of the drains had become blocked with grit, weeds and leaves which allowed water to accumulate on pavements and roads.
Iain Gregory, a retired police area commander and co-founder of Caithness Roads Recovery (CRR) said that blocked drains are reported to his campaign group "very frequently".
"It is difficult to understand why this has become so prevalent – it was certainly never an issue a decade or so back. We understand that Cllr McEwan has highlighted the issue, and CRR fully support her in her call for action.
Mr Gregory, who holds a Police Class One Advanced driving certificate, added: "There is a reason why drains are provided on our roads – and it is not just to stop us getting our feet wet, although the effects upon pedestrians, cyclists, bikers, and of course wheelchair users, are all very significant.
"It is vital that surface water is quickly drained away from the road surface to prevent flooding, surface damage, and the danger of aquaplaning. This can occur when water builds up between the tyre and the road surface, and can lead to complete loss of control. As little as 2.5mm of water is all that is needed, with vehicle speed and tyre condition playing important parts in the formula as well.
"In Caithness, where our roads are in an appalling condition, you will often feel at least one wheel 'lifting' when it enters a particularly nasty pothole, which is another reason why repairs are so vital. As winter approaches, we can expect that the water will turn to ice, that accidents will occur, and that pedestrians will be subjected to even more danger."
When asked if there was a regular maintenance rota for cleaning drains, Highland Council directed the newspaper to a Caithness Committee document from February 9 which discussed a prioritised list of structural maintenance works for the county. The document states that funding falls short for the current financial year and as a result "low volume and rural routes may be disadvantaged as prioritisation of limited funding dictates".
A Highland Council spokesperson added: “Drain clearance is a roads maintenance function and will be carried out as resources and priorities permit. Concerns about drains and footpath maintenance of Highland Council-maintained roads can be reported using the online forms at www.highland.gov.uk/report under the roads maintenance and ‘drainage’ categories.
“Or the council can be contacted via phone on 01349 886601 (8am to 5pm Monday to Friday) or outside these times on 01349 886690 in an emergency.”
Cllr McEwan found the council response unsatisfactory, saying: "It really is disgraceful, I believe there are volunteers in Lybster clearing their own drains. This surely is a health and safety issue."
