New fund aims to deliver services at reduced cost

An extra £1 million is to be spent on roads maintenance in the Highlands in this financial year. The one-off injection has been allocated by the Council from its new £5 million Strategic Change and Development Fund to help improve the condition of the Council’s 4,217 mile regional roads network.

The extra spending comes hard on the heels of a decision by the Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee to allocate an extra £2 million of spending on roads maintenance.

Councillor Graham Phillips, Chairman of the Council’s TEC Services Committee, said:  “The allocation of an extra £3 million into roads maintenance in this financial year, will make a big difference to our road network. We are pleased to be able to  respond to the wishes of our communities, who want to see their roads brought up to standard.”

The Council also agreed to allocate £500,000 to support its Corporate Improvement Programme.  The CIP is a key element of the Council’s ongoing drive for efficiency savings and more effective ways of working.

The establishment of the new Fund was agreed by the Council at its meeting in February.  Its purpose is to provide on-going financial investment to support the development of services or facilitate change.

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