Long-term loss of part of A9 in far north would be ‘disastrous’
Maree Todd has been told that any long-term loss of part of the northern A9 would be “disastrous” for Caithness and Sutherland.
The warning to the area’s MSP came from Highland councillor Matthew Reiss as he requested details of any improvement schemes planned for the trunk road north of Tain.
Councillor Reiss, a Highland Alliance member who represents Thurso and Northwest Caithness, pointed to a previous assurance that improving safety on the A9 is “a top priority” for the Scottish Government.
He raised his concerns in an email to Ms Todd, the SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, nine months after writing to her on behalf of Richard Gale and Ron Gunn, who chair the Sutherland and Caithness area committees respectively.
At that time Councillor Reiss referred to a landslide under the A9 near Portgower in 2018 which resulted in the southbound lane being closed for a long spell. Landslides had also occurred at Scrabster, he pointed out, while he called the narrow bridge at Culgower “an extreme hazard”.
In his follow-up letter, Councillor Reiss noted that no works had taken place at Scrabster “other than the removal of traffic lights and a safety barrier”.
He asked Ms Todd: “Could you please indicate what Transport Scotland does now have planned for Scrabster and new projects – not maintenance works – on the A9 north of Tain? It goes without saying that any long-term loss of a part of the A9 would be disastrous for the far north and our friends in Orkney, given the lack of alternative routes.”
Councillor Reiss referred to two road accidents at Culgower this summer, describing the bridge there as “a clear and immediate danger”.
He wrote: “Foreign drivers may be especially at risk of being caught out by the innocent-looking approaches. This is a glaring risk and must, please, be addressed immediately.”
Councillor Reiss added: “You stated in your response [in October] that you had raised our concerns with the transport minister and Transport Scotland, adding that ‘road safety improvements on the A9 remain a top priority for the Scottish Government’
“Thank you for this. Ten of the 11 most dangerous non-dual carriageway sections of the A9 are north of Inverness. Given road safety is a ‘top priority’, what new schemes are already planned for – and financed?”
Councillor Reiss went on to accuse the Scottish Government of wasting money.
He wrote: “In previous conversations you have blamed the UK government, Brexit and others for your government’s lack of funding – some would politely point out the sums wasted elsewhere. But, putting that argument to one side, the Scottish Government has a funding formula and I am convinced it is not fairly allocated.
“The evidence of the very recent Sunday Times survey is the latest piece of a mountain of compelling evidence that Highland has been losing out on funding for many years, in favour of the central belt.”
Councillor Reiss added: “I have mentioned wasted money – it is not fair to make such assertions without providing examples. I remind you of your government’s 95-page Action Plan to Address Depopulation which is being overseen by the ‘Ministerial Population Taskforce’, aided by the ‘Addressing Depopulation Delivery Group’ and, quoting from the plan, ‘our independent Expert Advisory Group on Migration and Population’.
“Try as I may, I could not find the words ‘Caithness’, ‘Wick’ or ‘Thurso’ anywhere in the whole plan.
“A sum of £180k has been allocated to cover three local authorities over a two-year period. So for Highland that is £30k funding per annum for two years.
“The plan also claims to have worked in ‘deep partnership’ with agencies, local authorities and the third sector and there have been (taxpayer-funded) trips to Spain to ‘learn lessons’.
“This style of unintelligible language tells the public a great deal about whether a glossy, far-reaching plan is actually backed up by hard cash and commitment. In this case it is not and will fail.
“Please do not let the A9 suffer the same fate – push for some modest safety improvements.”
Ms Todd said: “I appreciate the concerns raised in Councillor Matthew Reiss’s email relating to the A9 north of Inverness and recognise that maintaining the safety and reliability of this route is a priority for my constituents in Caithness.
“I understand that Transport Scotland conducts thorough annual inspections to evaluate the trunk road’s condition and plan future maintenance schemes.
“I have written to Transport Scotland to ask about any planned or identified improvement projects along the route. I have also highlighted the specific safety concerns mentioned in Councillor Reiss’s email.
“Caithness Transport Forum provides an excellent platform for councillors to raise concerns directly with Transport Scotland, and a number of the issues Councillor Reiss raises are already being pursued. Highland Council also meets monthly with Transport Scotland and the council leader [Raymond Bremner] provides regular updates to the public.”
On depopulation, Ms Todd said: “In my work as MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross I have heard exceptionally positive feedback from constituents in north-west Sutherland regarding the work of the new settlement officer to tackle depopulation. It’s disappointing to see a Highland councillor publicly condemn this work.”
