Council Seeks Extra £1.6 million to Meet Storm Damage Bill

16th August 2007

A bid is to be made by The Highland Council to the Scottish Government for a further £1,668,000 of grant aid to fully fund the repairs to council properties/infrastructure and community assets caused by the storm damage of October last year.

In March, the Council has received a grant of £4 million towards the repair bill.

Since then a further £1,090,000 has been spent and officials estimate a further £576,000 is required to be spent to complete outstanding works, bringing the total bill to £5,760,000.

The additional works include the repair and replacement of the cemetery footbridge over the River Thurso in Thurso (£200,000) and a flood defence scheme on the Scotsburn road and bridge repairs on the Cromarty road (£119,000).

Councillor John Rosie, Thurso, told the Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee today (Thursday) that the replacement of the cemetery footbridge was a very big topic in Thurso.

He said: "This is a beautiful and very popular walk for Thurso folk and provides access for wheelchair-bound people and for mums with pushchairs. The loss of the bridge is felt by many people, who are eager for the bridge to be replaced.

"Hopefully the Scottish Government will fully fund our additional bid and the project can go ahead as soon as possible."

Councillors Rosie said he would be writing to Highland MSPs to enlist their support for the Council's bid for additional funding.

Photo
Thurso River showing wheree the bridge used to be after the floods washed it away.

To see many more Caithness Flood photos from October 2006 go to -
http://www.caithness.org/archives/2006/october2006.htm