Highland Council budget offers hope of NC500 improvements as well as council tax freeze
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Parts of the North Coast 500 route could benefit from new investment to tackle irresponsible tourism as part of this year's Highland Council budget.
Householders also look set to enjoy a council tax freeze in a budget which aims to address major concerns voiced by the public about the sheer volume of tourists, crumbling roads and calls for more cash to be invested locally, as well as dealing with the fallout from Covid and Brexit.
On Thursday councillors will be asked to agree to a health and prosperity strategy containing investment worth £9.8 million in people, infrastructure, places and business across the Highland region.
The local authority has also accepted an offer for a Scottish Government supported £4.2 million freeze on council tax.
The local funding will see a one-off payment of £100,000 per council ward and a £10,000 top-up of discretionary budgets, so Caithness and Sutherland would each get £252,000 to spend on so-called wellbeing investments such as paths or play parks.
And after a huge outcry from local residents across the north, the council has developed a £1.5 million visitor management strategy.
More than a third of that cash will go on employing 10 seasonal rangers to tackle camping, littering, dangerous parking, and fire lighting and improving passing places, lay-bys, road signs and verge protection.
Critically, the council wants to spend £200,000 on creating a network of 40 to 50 temporary sites for campervans and motorhomes while a permanent solution is found.
Almost £250,000 will be spent on dealing with waste, with a welcome boost for public toilets across the north and increasing how often bins in tourist hotspots are emptied.
As the council’s long-awaited investment of £20 million in road repairs is set to get under way, a review will be undertaken to look at getting wind farm developer contributions that can then be invested in roads.
The largest tranche – worth £6 million – will go to an economic prosperity fund focused on 10 different areas, including direct action to support jobs with wage incentives for the private sector and grants and loans to help local start-ups.
People aged 16 to 65 who find themselves out of work will be helped into modern apprenticeships with the double benefit of providing all sectors with qualified staff.
