The Northern Roads Collaboration Forum involves local authorities working together to share staff, equipment and properties to improve the repair and maintenance of roads, as well as reduce costs.

Councils involved include Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Comharlie nan Eilean Siar and Moray councils.

Talks will now to take place to enter into a formal collaboration.

Argyll and Bute’s policy lead for roads and amenity services, Councillor Roddy McCuish, said: “We’ve had an informal arrangement for some time with other councils.

“This has worked well, helping us increase our capacity to carry out design and to do repairs and maintenance, and also helping us to reduce our costs, which is good news for local people as well as the council.

“By making it a more formal arrangement, we can take this a step further. It will give us new opportunities to pool resources, upskill staff, encourage new people to work in this area and increase local employment opportunities.

“Roads are a key front-line service for all councils, even more so for those like Argyll and Bute, serving many remote communities.

“It’s essential for us to work together with other local authorities to keep these services at the level people expect, and to keep them resilient now and into the future.”