'The poorest roads in Scotland': Backing for Caithness group over plea to Humza Yousaf
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Caithness Roads Recovery has been backed by a local Highland councillor over its call for Humza Yousaf to visit the county for a close-up look at its pothole crisis.
Matthew Reiss warned that some routes appear to be deteriorating faster than they can be repaired, despite the efforts of local authority road crews and contractors.
Iain Gregory, co-founder of Caithness Roads Recovery, wrote to the First Minister three weeks ago telling him that the county's roads are "the poorest in Scotland" and seeking his personal intervention.
Mr Gregory told Mr Yousaf that "we desperately need help" and said the sums required in Caithness "are very substantially beyond the resources" of Highland Council.
There has been no reply yet to Mr Gregory's email, dated April 8, and this week he sent a reminder to Mr Yousaf's office.
Councillor Reiss, an independent member for Thurso and Northwest Caithness, said: “Whilst we fully appreciate Mr Yousaf will be very busy, if his government's emphasis is going to be on the things that matter to Scots then you would have expected one of his civil servants at the very least to have acknowledged the invitation and acted on it.
“It's hard to overstate the urgency of the situation regarding the roads. On Monday I learned from our roads manager that in the last few weeks at least another 10 roads have been identified as needing repairs.
“So despite the good work that the road crews are doing, as well as Gunns of Lybster, the roads still seem to be deteriorating faster than we can repair them.
“Let's not forget also people having to use damaged pavements – the elderly and those with disabilities and people with prams.”
Mr Gregory had submitted a question about funding for Caithness roads and pavements to Mr Yousaf and the other two SNP leadership candidates, Ash Regan and Kate Forbes, at the Inverness Courier leadership debate on March 17.
At the time, Mr Yousaf said he understood how difficult the roads in Caithness could be.
"We’ve all said that local authorities should have a review of funding and of funding mechanisms," he said. "I think there’s also a strong argument to look at whether Highland Council seems too big...
"Let’s go right into community councils like up there in Caithness and give them some more funding to help with their priorities."
In his email to Mr Yousaf on April 8, Mr Gregory reminded the First Minister of the question he had submitted at the debate.
He continued: "The state of our Highland Council maintained roads, throughout Caithness, is now absolutely dire. It is beyond doubt that they are far, far worse than any other area in Highland, and we have no doubt they are the poorest in Scotland.
"We desperately need help, and the fact that the Highland Council themselves have voted unanimously to write to the Scottish Government, seeking emergency funding, bears this out.
"Can I please ask for your personal intervention in this matter? I would also extend an invitation to you to visit Caithness, where Caithness Roads Recovery would be more than pleased to take you on a tour of the county so that you could see exactly how bad things are."
