Council renews support for Highland community transport groups

Twenty community transport schemes in the Highlands will continue to receive financial support, totalling almost £500,000, from The Highland Council in the next financial year (2011/12).

Members of The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee have agreed to extend grant support into 2011/12, providing that the community groups work with Council officials to identify combined efficiency savings of at least £15,000.

Committee members were informed that one service, the Sound of Mull Passenger Ferry, which is jointly funded by Argyll and Bute Council, has seen a reduced level of usage and is currently receiving a subsidy of £49.96 per passenger from The Highland Council. As funding has been withdrawn by Argyll and Bute Council, Committee members agreed that Council funding for the Sound of Mull Transport Group will now also be withdrawn when the current agreement expires on 31 March 2011.

Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the Council’s TEC Services Committee, said: “I am very pleased that we have been able to continue supporting these services which are important to our rural communities, and we will continue to work with the local groups to identify improvements and efficiencies to these services.”

The groups which will continue to receive funding support from The Highland Council in 2011/12 are:

Lochaber

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey

Caithness and Sutherland

Skye

Wester Ross