Highland Liberal Democrats have launched a region wide petition calling for a dedicated Highland Roads Funding Plan after councillors were told the area faces a £233 million repair backlog.
To sign the petition click here
The campaign follows a meeting of Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee where it was confirmed that around £22.5 million per year is currently being allocated to address the backlog.
In Lochaber alone, the outstanding repair bill stands at £12.5 million, with £2 million allocated for the coming financial year.
Highland councillor and Scottish Parliament candidate Andrew Baxter tabled a motion urging the Council to formally lobby the Scottish Government for additional funding.
The motion was supported by councillors from other parties and members of the Highland Alliance but was voted down by SNP and Independent councillors.
Andrew Baxter said:
“What was extraordinary was not just the vote, it was the silence.
“SNP councillors sat mute throughout the debate.
“They neither defended the current appalling state of our roads nor applauded what the Council is spending.
“They simply sat there until they were required to vote down a sensible, cross-party motion calling for more funding.
“When faced with a choice between standing up for the Highlands or protecting their party leadership in Edinburgh, they chose silence and then compliance.
“If the Council won’t fight, the people of the Highlands will.”
The petition calls for a multi year funding plan, ring fenced capital investment and full transparency on backlog figures across every part of the Highlands.
David Green, Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, said:
“If nothing changes, our roads will continue to deteriorate.
“Describing them as looking like the surface of the moon is no longer an exaggeration, it’s a daily reality for too many communities.
“It isn’t acceptable that the elderly woman I met in Balintore was left isolated in her home over winter because she feared the damage potholes would do to her car if she drove at night.
“This is about long-term planning, not short-term patching.
“The Highland Council needs to be pressing the Scottish Government for a fair deal that reflects the Highlands’ unique challenges.”
Neil Alexander, Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness and Nairn, said:
“Right across Inverness, our city is littered with pot holes.
“It’s getting worse by the week in our Highland capital, and it’s no different as you get into the rural parts of Nairnshire where the potholes are dangerous for anyone who has to travel on our roads.
“Folk in my constituency already tell me they feel like their streets have been abandoned by Highland Council, and SNP councillors have just shown they refuse to fight for the people who voted them in.
“Rhetoric doesn’t fix roads, action does.
“And it’s time this Highland Council stood up for the people of Inverness and Nairn.”
Andrew Baxter concluded:
“This should not be a party political issue.
“It is about safety, economic growth and basic fairness.
“The Highlands generate enormous wealth for Scotland, yet our infrastructure is being allowed to deteriorate.
“The message to Edinburgh is simple: it’s time to Fix Our Highland Roads.”
