Inverness road repairs hopes dashed
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A SPECIAL meeting Inverness councillors had hoped would produce real change in the way roads funds are distributed has instead left many feeling short-changed.
Ahead of a city of Inverness area committee meeting on Thursday elected members had called for a change to the funding formula which weights roads spending heavily in favour of length of route over population size.
That leaves Inverness – with shorter but far busier roads – struggling.
Out of a total of £3.06 million allocated for roads in the Inverness area for 2019/20, the rural Aird and Loch Ness ward is to get 57 per cent of the budget for resurfacing.
While an extra £100,000 was found for roads across the Inverness area as a whole after councillors, in February, sent officers away to re-examine the then-proposed budget, this is just a drop in the ocean compared to the £6.5 million identified for work to bring the city’s main roads up to scratch.
Among a list of arterial city roads listed for yesterday’s meeting as being in need of structural maintenance officers say it will take £400,000 to bring Old Edinburgh Road up to scratch, £900,000 for Culduthel Road and between £955,000 and £1.5 million for Millburn Road.
Councillors had already aired their frustration at a special seminar held on March 21 and expected real change to come out of yesterday’s meeting.
However, speaking afterwards, Inverness South councillor, Conservative member Andrew Jarvie, denounced it as a “talking shop” exercise and a “waste of time”.
He said: “It was agreed that a new roads funding distribution formula be discussed as one ward in Highland was getting about 57 per cent of the roads budget.
“After six weeks, which has delayed the start of this year’s road repairs, I could not be more disappointed.
“That one ward is still getting 57 per cent of the surface dressing cash while many city centre roads make the surface of the moon look smooth.”
Cllr Jarvie blamed the Scottish Government for “starving us of cash” but added: “This council has been hanging itself with a bonkers funding distribution formula that has actively driven funds away from the busiest roads.
“I have asked officers to go away and come back with plans on how we can capitalise a small proportion of our funds to bring forward urgent works. The costs of some repairs are quadrupling each year, which only makes more repairs unaffordable.”
And Inverness Ness-side SNP councillor Ron MacWilliam said: “The administration have too many competing interests to formulate a collective view on roads.
“It was over a year ago they agreed with my proposal to pursue a change in allocation formula, but nothing has yet happened to achieve that.
“The Liberal and Labour leaders are now in agreement with me that arterial routes need a greater allocation, but the council leader seems far less keen.
“So like every other good idea this one will most likely be kicked straight in to the long grass.”
Inverness South Lib Dem councillor Carolyn Caddick was pleased to see a clear list of the roads that need to be addressed, along with indicative costs, but said clear timetables for work were also vital.
“I think people are willing to live with a problem on a road if they know there is an end in sight – but there is no end in sight for any of these,” she said.
