Cllr Andrew Purkis quizzed Highland Councillor Colin MacAulay (the sole member of the local authority present last night in the URC hall) on the subject of road repairs, he also compared planned expenditure in Inverness with that in Nairn, he said:
"Is there any more news on any road developments around Nairn and upkeep of roads? Highland Council are spending £41 million for the extra bypass, yet we in Nairn have many substandard roads. In areas of the Fishertown there is a bare track. [...] We have been fighting for years in what is a conservation area which attracts tourists and ratepayers shouldn't have to put up with basically gravel in some of their streets. Highland Council and its colonial attitude is willing to spend 41 million in Inverness - we can't even get 20,000 spent on the road. It's just one of these age-old niggles in Nairn that we pay plenty of rates into Highland Council, It's a cash cowboy, but we don't seem to get the roads dealt with. A conservation area is a huge attraction for tourists. They come off the front, they spend some money in town yet the upkeep by Highland Council is pitiful .
Colin responded: "There are bits that are particularly band and I think, let the Council know bits that are bad, let me know which bits that are bad...But I have to say in terms of road budget in Highland, terribly under-resourced for the whole of Highland. It is different in terms of capital budget which is developing a new road versus the maintenance budget. I think it is either one or two extra million put in last year, it'll come again this year. There will be more roads maintenance. In terms of the backlog of roads maintenance you're talking 40 years of backlog. There's certainly more funding going into it [...] They work on a surveying basis, they pick up, they have a computer on the front of a lorry. It picks up exactly which roads are in a worse state and they address those ones first.
Andrew replied: " This was raised I can remember when I was originally on the Community Council back in 2003 [...] Here we are, 11yrs and still nothing done..."
Colin intervened: "The budget has been boosted Andrew but it is not going to meet the requirements or the expectations..."
Leslie Boulton, chairing the meeting cut in with his thoughts: " On Radio Scotland there was a survey with a couple of taxi drivers from Glasgow and one suggested they lifted all the road humps and fill the potholes with the road humps which I thought was a good idea."
Andrew then continued: "There are two streets in Fishertown which really, basically don't even constitute a road surface any more - it is so poor!"
https://eforms.highland.gov.uk/lcp/form.aspx?form=Report_Road_Maintenance_Fault
ReplyDeleteAs I said last night, the "Independent-Led" Council over a sustained period of years allowed Highland's roads to deteriorate and deteriorate. The backlog is massive. With limited resources - but increased for Roads Maintenance - the policy is now to analyse and prioritise based on a range of factors.
If there are faults that are not listed in the system - please use the link here to make sure that they are logged so that they can be prioritised - Or get in touch.
Colin
I know (as am I) that Mr Purkis is a fishertown resident, but I fail to understand his continual pressing for improvements to the roads in this area. I seem to remember that his last fear was that weeds would have a detrimental affect on tourists in the area. Some of us can remember when all of the fishertown was just mud or gravel roads. It seems that Mr Purkis wants a pick and mix conservation area whereby we have perfect tarmac and shortbread tin houses for the visitors to swoon over? I find the road surfaces absolutely fine, if there is any unevenness to my mind this is a bonus as it keeps traffic speeds down to the 20 mph limit. We have a far greater need to spend our limited road budget on other areas rather than worry about the odd track that’s not been paved over; I’m sure many tourists would find this an added attraction of the area?
ReplyDeletewhy cant they put some speed bumps in to stop those in the cars who godown harbor street at 60mph?
ReplyDeleteThank you Community Councillor Purkis for caring for our Fishertown conservation area. You have the support of the silent majority down here
ReplyDeleteConcerning comments made 9.36am I would ask this person why he/she seems to to take delight in criticising Mr Purkis one of our community councillors when it is mire than obvious that he is doing something good for our part of toon.
ReplyDeleteI say gdt off you hobby horse and do something useful rather than rants behind the screen of your laptop. You are a bore.
I hope Mr Purkis considers to stand in the next Highland Council elections, he is well liked amongst a fair few Nairnites, especially in Fishertown. Unlike some who gurn hiding behind a computer screen