Thurso Co-op car park to be fixed by Highland Council
Repairs to the pot-holed surface of Thurso's Co-op car park, recently compared to an open-cast mine, could be in the offing.
Local Highland councillors have been battling to get the work carried out after being inundated with complaints from shoppers.
Councillor Ron Gunn said it has been established that under the terms of the Co-op’s long-term lease of the site from the council, the latter is responsible for the upkeep of the car park.
He told last week’s meeting of Thurso Community Council: “It’s now in black and white that Highland Council have to repair it. Work should be starting soon.”
A recent letter from his ward colleagues Matthew Reiss and Andrew Jarvie to council leader Raymond Bremner made the comparison with an open cast mine and claimed the risks to pedestrians, the visually impaired, prams and motorists are “stark”.
Councillor Gunn later revealed that improvements are to be carried out to the pavement running from Dunbar Hospital to the Castlegreen Road junction with Ormlie Road.
Related news:
• Potholed car park in Thurso town centre ‘looks like an open cast mine’
• Thurso looks to improve ‘atrocious’ town centre
He said this followed complaints about its current state, particularly from people in wheelchairs and pushing prams and buggies.
The work, which will include dropped kerbs, will start very soon, said Councillor Gunn.
It is being bankrolled from the Scottish Government’s active travel fund. The fund is also being used to improve footpaths at the Mall and Victoria Walk.
• The bulk of calls to police officers in Thurso continues to relate to non-criminal matters.
The latter accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 158 received last month, Thurso community councillors heard at their latest meeting last week.
Sergeant Stephen Todd said 56 involved reports of missing people or concern for somebody.
• Preparations are under way to extend Thurso cemetery.
Highland Council is paving the way to provide new plots on the Halkirk side of the cemetery at Mount Vernon.
Speaking at last week’s meeting of Thurso Community Council, local Highland councillor Ron Gunn said ground tests are planned next month with work on the extension due to start early next year.