Jamie Halcro Johnston, Scottish Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, and Councillor Marc Macrae (Fochabers Lhanbryde) are taking action to get repairs made to a road in Fochabers.
Mr Halcro Johnston and Cllr Macrae visited the road in question, The Quarters, a cul-de-sac which lies adjacent to the Burn of Fochabers, following complaints by residents about the condition of the road surface.
Cllr Macrae said: “I am becoming increasingly worried about the deteriorating road surface. Potholes are developing which, if they are not repaired soon, could become very problematic for road-users and pedestrians alike. I am especially concerned about elderly residents who may find the very uneven surface difficult to negotiate particularly as there is not a footpath and they have to walk on the road itself.
“The problem seems to be that it is not clear who has responsibility for some sections of the road, and as heavy agricultural vehicles are using it for access, when potholes develop, as they have, they can turn into major obstacles very quickly. In the past one of the residents used to carry out ad hoc repairs but since he passed away this has not been happening.
“Moray Council used to carry out some work on the road when funds existed for such unadopted routes so is not its responsibility while the Crown Estate, which certainly owns a stretch of the road, has not been doing much in the way of repair work either.
“I am talking to the residents about this and will be liaising with Jamie to put pressure on those responsible for the road’s upkeep.”
Mr Halcro Johnston said: “I am grateful to Cllr Macrae for bringing this issue to my attention and for inviting me down to view the problem first hand and to discuss the matter with one of the residents who is most affected.
“The concern is that, if the road condition worsens considerably, we risk getting to a situation where emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, have difficulty accessing some of the houses. That simply cannot be allowed to happen.
“I am writing to the Council and the Crown Estate in an effort to get clarification on who owns the road and who is responsible for its upkeep. The longer this is left, the more difficult and expensive it will be to make the necessary repairs.
“Passing the buck just isn’t acceptable and, between us, Cllr Macrae and I will be pressing the agencies concerned to take responsibility and ensure some remedial action is undertaken as a matter of urgency”.
