Highland Council looking to Westminster for pothole cash

The Press and Journal again:

'Highland Council is to write to the chancellor to seek emergency funds for the cost of repairing potholes after the worst winter for decades.
The authority’s transport director told councillors, meeting in Inverness yesterday, that the big December and January freeze had blown a £1.5million hole in the council’s budget that would have to be carried over into the 2010-11 financial year.'

Another burden on an organisation creaking under the strain. It appears also that the Council may use part-time fire-fighters for winter maintenance duty in the future.  More in the P&J.

Meanwhile the Council is hopeful of saving money on a new ICT deal (information and communication tecnology).  Another page on the Council's site gives details of another regular item that has to be met on the budget - the details of how much the Heads of Department earn.