Fresh plea over 'utterly disgraceful' state of Caithness roads
A renewed plea is being made over the "utterly disgraceful" state of Caithness roads in the wake of this month's Highland Council elections.
Campaign group Caithness Roads Recovery (CRR) reiterated its warning that a tragedy will happen unless there is major investment in fixing potholes and other damage.
Co-founder Iain Gregory insists that if the local authority does not have the money required then it "must go to the Scottish Government and say so".
He said: "The level of public support for CRR is extraordinary, and now that the new council is in place we expect that the many electoral pledges for action on Caithness roads will be put into effect."
Mr Gregory stood as an independent candidate for Thurso and Northwest Caithness at the elections on May 5 but was not among the four who were voted in.
"CRR was formed by Helen Campbell and myself in February 2021 and we have campaigned constantly for action ever since," he said. "Some additional funding has been allocated to Caithness, but it amounts to no more than a sticking plaster applied to a series of gaping wounds.
"By the council's own figures, some £200 million is needed across the Highlands, with a sum well in excess of £20 million required to restore Caithness roads to something approaching an acceptable standard. We have repeatedly said that a tragedy will occur without action, and the situation is now utterly disgraceful.
"If the council does not have the funds needed then it must go to the Scottish Government and say so.
"We would also point out that in 2023/24 it would seem the capital budget for roads is to be cut to a little over £8.8 million, when the fact is that well over £26 million, again using the council's own figures, is needed just to maintain the 'steady state' – in other words, to keep things in the same parlous state as they are at the moment. This is totally unacceptable".
Last year CRR lodged a complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO), alleging that the council had failed to maintain public roads in Caithness in accordance with Section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.
SPSO declined to take the matter forward at that time. Mr Gregory said: "That may be the case, but CRR is compiling a new portfolio of evidence and, unless urgent action is taken by the council, we will raise the complaint again – on an even stronger basis than in 2021.
"I travelled from Greenland to Canisbay on Monday and I can only describe what I found as an absolute and utter disgrace, and an undeniable indictment of the total failure to maintain our roads in accordance with the act. It is dangerous, damaging and disastrous."
In its response in October, the SPSO – the final stage for complaints about local authorities and other public bodies – stated: "By law, the SPSO cannot question the merits of a decision an organisation is allowed to make (a discretionary decision). Public bodies have discretion to make a wide range of decisions, and generally we cannot comment on the merit of those decisions unless we find evidence of maladministration or service failure."
Council chief executive Donna Manson had written to CRR the previous month, saying. "The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 states that a local roads authority shall manage and maintain roads that are on its list of public roads. The act does not state that roads are to be kept entirely free of defects as it would not be possible to do so."
