Stone’s drive to ring-fence funds for pothole restoration ahead of council budget.
Jamie Stone, the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, has today called on Highland Council to ring-fence funding for road improvements ahead of its upcoming budget.
Mr Stone’s calls come after long-standing issues in the Far North with roads rapidly deteriorating in recent years without adequate intervention.
Just this month, data published by Highland Council showed that, when comparing 2015 to 2023, less than half as many work orders are being completed.
In 2015, more than 98% of the 3726 work orders raised by the council were completed.
In 2023, just 38% of the 2801 orders were completed.
It is thought that significant budgetary pressures faced by the local authority have led to a decline in service delivery levels.
In his letter to the local authority, the MP describes his personal experience suffering from two tyre blow-outs in the last 6 months alone.
Commenting, Jamie Stone said:
“The council is in the driving seat and, in coming times, they will need to agree on the budget and steer the region towards a better future.
“Of course, these are challenging times for the council and resources are limited but this ask is reasonable and necessary..”
“Simply put, I want the council to listen to the valid concerns raised by the people of the Far North and to ring-fence funding for the reconditioning of our roads both in the short and long term. ”
