'Politicians must admit this is a crisis and sort it out'
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In its first 10 months, Caithness Roads Recovery has fought a relentless campaign for investment in the county's crumbling carriageways. In this Q&A, co-founder Iain Gregory says Caithness must no longer be 'the forgotten county'
What were the initial aims of Caithness Roads Recovery when the group was formed?
Caithness Roads Recovery was founded by Helen Campbell and me in February 2021. The reason for our formation was expressed in our mission statement. Our Caithness roads are a vital lifeline for us all, and their ever-deteriorating state is seriously impacting that lifeline. The practice that has been used over the past two decades of quick, short-term repairs is no longer acceptable, and our community cannot continue to function properly and thrive on such poor roads. There needs to be a long-term, robust plan that will provide the county with a permanent solution. The aim of this campaign group is to highlight the condition of our roads and bring pressure to bear at both regional and national level for substantial investment to bring the network up to modern and safe standards.
Our straplines were, and remain, "From Despair to Repair" and "Lives, Livelihoods and Lifelines".
We have also repeatedly said the condition of our roads is, in our view, a symptom of a deeper malaise. Recent feedback suggests that many of our fellow citizens have lost all faith in Highland Council, and there is strong support for the re-establishment of a Caithness County Council, or a Caithness and Sutherland council, with growing interest in Caithness being granted "island" status.
Can you sum up the actions you have taken to try to bring about improvements?
Thousands of words have been written (equivalent to several novels – none of them fiction). Hundreds of photographs and videos – received from the public and taken by us – have been posted online, countless letters have been written, and we have met with many politicians. We have written to Highland Council, the Scottish Government, the Prime Minister, the First Minister, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Jamie Stone MP, all MSPs, both before and after the May election, all local councillors, Transport Scotland and all other relevant bodies.
The following, and the level of support, on our Facebook page has been extraordinary, and I think it is fair to say that Caithness Roads Recovery and Caithness Health Action Team are now the primary local causes.
Political interest has been high throughout – particularly leading up to local and national elections – but it is unfortunate that Highland Council continually states that it "does not have enough money". The Scottish Government is sticking to its position that "it is all down to the council" and the UK government takes the stance that this is a devolved matter.
In the meantime we are approaching total collapse of the roads network. I have said it before and will say it again: it is long past time that all of our politicians – councillors, MSPs and MPs – openly admit that this is a crisis, forget party politics, and sit down and sort it out. If they do not then lives will be lost. If Highland Council cannot deal with this, then it must stand up and say so, and go to the Scottish Government and ask for help.
We also went to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). It declined to take on our complaint that "in our view, the Highland Council has failed in its duty to maintain the roads in Caithness in accordance with Section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984". That is a matter for the ombudsman, but the evidence is overwhelming and is all around us. The fact that the SPSO declined to act makes, in my opinion, no difference whatsoever. The complaint still stands and Caithness Roads Recovery will not only fight on but will do so with even more determination. If this has to be driven by "people power", then so be it. Our elected representatives would do well to remember that we all have votes.
Highland Council regularly talks about "a doubling of the budget for Caithness roads", but a couple of million pounds is no more than a sticking plaster. We need at least another £20 million – and one way or another we are going to get it. Hundreds of millions are reportedly being spent on other projects, sometimes with a bit of a lack of success. One hesitates to mention the issues over ferries, for example...
Has there been some success for the campaign in its first 10 months?
Yes, there has been. We have raised the profile of Caithness very substantially. It is no longer possible to simply dismiss it as "that bit up there" with an airy wave of the hand, as we heard in the early stages. It is now very firmly on the map. In the words of Ron Gunn on our Facebook page comments, when Helen stood down, "Caithness Roads Recovery has challenged the authorities as nobody has ever challenged them before."
I believe we are now at a turning point – the issue can no longer be denied. Politicians are now contacting Caithness Roads Recovery, as opposed to the other way round. We have a groundswell of support and we must keep the pressure on. We will win this. The Groat and Courier have helped make this a high-profile issue. Caithness Roads Recovery will continue, it will develop, it will work with partners, and Caithness will no longer be "the forgotten county".
What impact will winter conditions have on the county's road network?
I predicted a "winter of discontent" and I meant it. I fear the worst: an already collapsing road system will simply disintegrate over winter. All we need is one old-fashioned Caithness winter and that will be that. The "temporary" repairs will not last, there will be roads that become virtually impassable, and public demands for action will reach such a level that intervention from Holyrood will simply have to occur – despite the current "nothing to do with us" attitude. We must hope that a tragedy does not result – but I fear it will.
- Helen Campbell stood down from Caithness Roads Recovery in October. She said she was more than pleased at how far it had come, thanked Mr Gregory for his "absolute passion and commitment" in developing the campaign and wished him well in continuing it.
