Easter Ross councillors call on Highland Council leaders for cash injection to roads amid frustration over staffing and investment
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ONGOING concerns about the state of roads in Easter Ross has prompted a united call for investment.
Members of Highland Council’s Easter Ross area committee approved the 2022/23 roads capital programme and backed a call to write to Highland Council leader, Margaret Davidson and budget leader, Alasdair Christie, to demand extra funding for roads in the area.
The Ross-shire Journal has been throwing the spotlight on roads across the region in recent weeks, telling local stories and pushing for improvements.
Cromarty Firth councillor Maxine Smith, who instigated a call for more investment, said: “It is so important that the rest of the councillors listen to the pleas from the Easter Ross committee to inject cash into our roads department.
“As councillors we cannot do our jobs properly because we cannot instruct for things to be fixed as there are insufficient staff and resources. We implore them to listen. We need to be able to offer a decent roads/pavements service.”
As the Easter Ross area has a total of 23 per cent of the road length in the former Ross and Cromarty area, the capital programme is based on that proportion of the 2022/23 Ross and Cromarty area capital budget – amounting to £270,000 – and includes the ward allocation budget.
The priority routes approved by members include:
Inlay works on the B817 Dalmore Roundabout and Westford Roundabout
Overlay works on the C1012 Badachonacher Junction
Surface dressing on the U1441 Balnabruach Road
Patching on the U3970 entrance to Mayfield/Duthac Wynd
Inlay works on the U1468 School Road, Milton and the B9174 Stafford Street
Should extra funding be awarded there are a number of other roads in this year’s plan including:
The U4242 Saltburn Distributor Road
C1023 Dingwall – Evanton back road
U1457 Milton Village Loop
Story to tell about a particularly bad road or an incident that has convinced you of the need for more action? Email hector.mackenzie@hnmedia.co.uk
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