Highland Council urged to set out spending plans over ‘disastrous situation in Caithness’
Highland Council is being challenged to set out how it intends to tackle the “disastrous” state of Caithness roads.
It follows national media coverage of the campaign led by Caithness Roads Recovery (CRR) highlighting what it calls a “patchwork quilt of neglect” in the county.
For more than three years CRR has been putting pressure on the local authority and the Scottish Government for a fully funded programme of repairs.
Last week the BBC and some national newspapers reported on the crumbling state of many roads in the county and the costs being incurred through damage to vehicles.
CRR co-founder Iain Gregory is now urging Highland Council to clarify a statement it made about “plans to invest up to £60m new capital in Highland roads and infrastructure”.
Mr Gregory said: “With the national and international coverage in broadcast and print media, it is fair to say that several million people are now aware of this statement.
“CRR has received numerous queries, and the impression gained by many people is that £60 million has been allocated to put things right in the far north. We are now calling upon Highland Council to clarify its statement and to detail the sums actually allocated to Caithness.”
BBC filming took place in Wick and other parts of the county, featuring Mr Gregory as well as Debbie Aitkenhead, a local driving instructor, and Megyn Todd, manager of the Care at Home service run by Pulteneytown People’s Project.
The story went out on Reporting Scotland, BBC Alba and Radio Scotland as well as UK-wide on BBC Breakfast last Saturday. It also featured prominently on the BBC website.
“It is more than disappointing that Highland Council apparently decided not to go on camera, across the nation, to provide the public with a clear and transparent explanation of the position,” Mr Gregory said.
“It is vital that residents are put fully in the picture, and made aware of the council’s plans to address the disastrous situation in Caithness.”
In a statement in March, Highland Council said that “plans to invest up to £60m new capital in Highland roads and infrastructure” had been approved by councillors. It added: “The decision will see an additional £40m capital investment in roads and transport infrastructure.”
Mr Gregory said: “So, not £60 million for roads, but £40 million – over three years. Also, Caithness has about 11 per cent of the total roads length in Highland, so on a pro-rata basis this would mean about £4 million over three years, or an additional £1.33 million per annum – not ‘£60 million’.”
He added: “According to Highland Council itself, the sum needed to maintain the ‘steady state’ is £33.990 million per annum, and a recent Freedom of Information response to Rhoda Grant MSP showed that the funds required to put things right across the region amount to £233 million. This would mean that Caithness alone requires a cash injection of around £25 million.”
Speaking to The Times, Mr Gregory described Caithness as “a patchwork quilt of neglect, a testament to the consequences of centralisation and the uncaring and distant administrations in Inverness and Edinburgh”. He added: “The poor state of the roads make the population feel like they don’t matter, that they are ignored.”
CRR also noted an “entirely predictable but extremely disappointing response” to its recent letter to Scotland’s transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, calling for help for Caithness.
Mr Gregory said there had been “the usual ‘nothing to do with us’ reply from Transport Scotland, basically saying that the issue is a matter for Highland Council”.
He added: “This is no surprise whatsoever. It is also extremely unwise in view of the huge media interest in the plight of the people of Caithness, a plight which CRR will continue to ensure is highlighted.”
Council leader Raymond Bremner said in March: “Roads are a clear priority for the communities across the Highlands and this has been a theme in feedback from public engagement.”
A council spokesperson said the allocation of the additional 2024/25 roads capital budget will be reported to full council, adding: “Highland Council has previously invested £7.7m into Caithness roads. Without this additional investment, the baseline budget would have been around £1.8m.”