'Progress being made' on roads improvement work project, Highland Council says
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
EFFORTS to improve the region's roads are "making progress", Highland Council has claimed.
The remarks come after the local authority's councillors were given an update on its ongoing road improvement project.
The council's redesign board "noted the progress being made on the project" at their recent meeting.
Its "roads improvement project" is aiming to redesign the service where necessary and deliver improvements "for the effective, efficient, and sustainable delivery of all engineering and roads operations", as well as improve road condition across the Highlands.
Although still in the early stages, members were advised that "progress is being made", with work reviewing permit applications, temporary and permanent traffic regulation orders and compensation claims. A further programme of works has been established covering policies, processes, financial resources, and workforce planning.
Related: Council Budget: Lib Dems seek 'extra' £23 million roads investment
Chairman of the redesign board, Councillor Bill Lobban, said: “This project is about taking a good look at ways we can modernise procedures to improve efficiency, so it was good to get the update today and the chance to discuss the next steps.”
Chairman of the economy and infrastructure committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, added: “The purpose is to redesign the service to modernise it and to ensure efficient processes are in place.
"These back-office, behind the scenes improvements are fundamental to the delivery of efficient, quality services that continue to provide value for money. Not only will the new processes benefit staff, but they will also benefit customers, so it is encouraging to see planning for the next phases is under way.”
The council said that the next phases of the project include the start of a road construction consent process improvement project and beginning of investigation work on alternatives to the current methodology used for the current roads budget distribution formula. Once this work is completed a workshop will be arranged for members to discuss the current budget distribution formula and possible alternatives.
