At the same time, members of the Skye and Raasay Area Committee agreed a list of prioritised programme of works for structural overlay/inlay works and surface dressing schemes which will be funded out of the Capital Budget allocation for 2024/25.

The local allocations capital budget for 2024/25 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 analysis of the road condition survey results.

Consequently the 2024/25 area capital roads programme is currently based on the previous year’s baseline £7.2 million Highland Area Roads Budget allocation. Should the approved 2024/25 budget differ from the previous budgets then the programme will be appropriately adjusted.

The 2023/24 baseline budget for Badenoch and Strathspey area was £473,737.

The 2023/24 Roads Budget local allocation for Badenoch and Strathspey area can be found at Item 5 of the report in Appendix 1. The 2024/25 programme is scheduled in Appendix 2 of the same report.

Chair of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee, Councillor Russell Jones, said: “Members fully understand the challenges faced by our roads manager when it comes to fixing the issues on every road that requires attention, especially after another severe winter.

“Members would therefore like to commend the area roads team for their continued efforts to maintain our local road network.”

The actual 2024/25 capital roads budget allocation for Skye and Raasay is still to be finalised but based on previous financial years and analysis of road condition survey results it is expected to be £516,353 in total, consisting of £296,341 for overlay/inlay works and £220,012 towards surface dressing schemes.

Skye and Raasay Area Committee chair, Councillor John Finlayson, added: “It is important that as a Committee, we take every opportunity to communicate the real scale of the financial challenges before us. We know the roads budget falls short of the funding needed to do everything we want with the added challenges being faced with regard to the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit Skye annually, but by agreeing the capital roads’ priorities for 2024/25 it helps raise awareness of what requires to be prioritised based on the road condition survey results and with the funding available, it also allows forward planning for the roads team who work tirelessly and resourcefully to do the best they can with the resources available.

“On behalf of the Committee, I would like to thank our roads operations teams who have been working tirelessly during the recent challenging adverse weather conditions to clear the snow, ice, and debris from our roads. They have been committed to keeping communities connected and worked hard to keep our routes open.”

The priority routes approved by Members today include surface dressing on:

• The A938 at sections between Duthil and Tullochgribben
• The B970 Ruthven to Tromie Road
• B9153 Carrbridge to A95 Kinveachy Junction
• The top section of the B9007 Duthil to Glenferness Road
• The U2379 Lochindorb Road (B9007 Junction to the Lodge)

Works for the Skye and Raasay area are identified based on a prioritised ranking. The ranking is informed by:

• Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey (SRMCS) data
• safety inspections
• service inspections
• input and feedback from Ward Members