Roads Across Highland To Benefit Over 20 Years From The £2.1bn Highland Investment Plan
2nd July 2024
Highland Council's £2.1 billion twenty-year investment plan will add significant capital on top of existing and additional new commitments of £50 million for roads and transport infrastructure agreed as part of the 2024 budget setting process.
£63.4m will be spent on roads and infrastructure improvements over the next 3 years. Following this, increases in capital through the Highland Investment Plan should see a further £287m investment to sustain roads and transport infrastructure over 20 years, pending agreement by Council as part of budget setting from 2027 onwards.
Additional to this will be funding to strengthen existing capital commitments to a range of on-going infrastructure needs over the next twenty years, including Roads, Bridges, Street Lighting, Fleet, Plant, Equipment, and other infrastructure including Flood Prevention, Piers, and Harbours.
Leader of the Council Raymond Bremner said: "The planned investment will help to address the on-going challenges we face in maintaining over 4000 miles of Highland roads and sustaining rural communities.
"A long-term investment programme for roads and transportation will ensure a sustainable approach to investment, contractor procurement, and opportunities to attract match funding from developer contributions or other external funding sources. There will also be significant local contracting and business opportunities and wider community economic benefit associated with the delivery of the Investment Plan."
The Roads Operational Areas have already taken their 2023/24 programmes to Area Committee. The programmes were presented to committees before the capital budget allocations were known, so they were based on the 2023/24 base capital figures as an estimate. Areas have presented a list of schemes for their expected budget allocation, with additional ones shown which have not yet been programmed. These are intended to be utilised when the additional funding becomes available or a scheme has to be delayed for operational reasons.
An £8.655m strategic allocation from the 2024-25 budget, will be targeted at a further list of road surface treatment schemes, utilising Engineering judgement and local knowledge to determine which projects were to be included. The project list has been compiled in conjunction with each Road Operations Manager and technical staff, to identify those which they could undertake in 2024/25. A diverse approach was taken, looking at urban and rural localities as well as all classes of roads, including where representations from Members or the public had been received.
Comment
A 20 year plan with many caveats and risks may or may not all happen. At least it is something to aim for. The major risk would appear to be the heavy reliance on increase Highland council borrowing in a council already one of the highest indebted councils in Scotland.
Judge for yourself by reading the plan -
See Item 9 on the agenda from 9 May 2024
https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/4967/highland_council
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Aarons of Wick Ltd informed The Highland Council at lunchtime on Friday 4 October that with immediate effect they were unable to continue to operate any school or public service journeys which require a full-size bus. The Council has sourced replacement services from Dunnetts Transport for the Reay - Thurso and Bower – Castletown – Thurso services.
New funding for critical infrastructure projects that will help boost employment, empower communities and ensure a sustainable future for Scotland's island communities has been announced by First Minister John Swinney. Ten projects have been awarded a share of the Scottish Government's £3 million 2024/25 Islands Programme Fund.
Council Leaders have (27th September 2024) withdrawn support for the Scottish Government's revised National Care Service Bill. The Bill is currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament.
A new contract has been awarded to Perthshire's Wyllie Recycling Ltd for the provision of mixed plastic and metal container recycling services and haulage in Highland. This includes plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, metals tins, drink cans, aerosols and food and drink cartons which are collected in the new green recycling bins.
The Highland Council is asking any businesses, companies or organisations who are planning to hold any type of market, including Christmas or festive type markets, to contact the Licensing Service to check if they require a market operator's licence. If a licence is required, organisers will have to have applied for, and had this granted, prior to the market taking place.
The Highland Council Trading Standards service is urging motorists to be aware of a recent trend in scam texts aimed at tricking people into thinking they have to act quickly to pay a parking penalty charge notice (PCN). The text asks you to pay the PCN which has been issued by "a local Council".
Members at meeting of The Highland Council 919 Septmber2024) agreed a refined strategy and action plan for the Council's approach to Community Wealth Building. The Community Wealth Building Strategy 2024 - 2027 provides an alternative approach to economic development and a practical response that aims to keep wealth within a local area.
Following a process of review, including extensive stakeholder engagement, The Highland Council has completed an options appraisal on the future of Thor House in Thurso. The Council can now confirm that it intends to reinstate the property as a short break house for children with disability.
At the Education Committee today (Thursday 12 September 2024) Members agreed to the recommendation to transfer Youth Work and Adult Learning to the Council from High Life Highland. The final contract review report will come to the Committee in November 2024 for consideration.
The Education Committee met today (Thursday 12 September 2024) and agreed the Community Learning and Development Plan 2024-2027. Community Learning and Development (CLD) plays an important role in ensuring individuals, families and communities reach their potential, through lifelong learning, mutual self-help and community organisation, ensuring support and opportunities are community-led and built around people's individual and collective aspirations.
