The local allocations capital budget for 2023/24 remains to be established which will be calculated from the approved capital budget allocation being adjusted for any acceleration or slippage in the previous financial year for each area allocation, and also analysis of the road condition survey results.

Consequently the 2023/24 area capital roads programme is based on the previous year’s Baseline Capital Budget, which is unlikely to vary significantly from the established budget that will not be determined until early Summer.

As the Black Isle Area has a total of 20% of the road length in the former Ross and Cromarty area, this capital programme is based on 20% of the 2023/24 Ross and Cromarty Area Capital budget. Adjusting for accelerated spend, this amounts to £219,688.

Additional engineering resources from the Project Design Unit are working with the Roads Operational Managers to plan and deliver the works.

Chair of the Black Isle Area Committee, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston, said: “We realise that the level of investment across Highland roads falls short of the budget requirements to maintain a steady state road condition.

“As Members of this ward we will be constantly monitoring for and asking about potential funding opportunities in order to enhance the road network on the Black Isle.”

She added: “The severe winter we have experienced, which may not yet be over, have resulted in an usually high level of deterioration of the overall network and Black Isle did not escape the impact.”

The Area Capital Programme for 2023/24 will include the following priorities:

• 1,413m of surface dressing on the C1039 and U2607 North Kessock High Street
• 250m of inlay work on the C1039 and U2607 North Kessock High Street
• 1,860m of surface dressing on the A832 Munlochy Junction to Belmaduthy Road

Also, within the programme and depending on resourcing the team has included a number of other aspirational roads, including 3,900m of surface dressing on the B9161 at Bogallan from the A9 junction to Little Mill Bridge and 2,933m of surface dressing for the U2519 Newmills to Resolis road.