I have been out and about across East Kintyre listening to local concerns and doing my upmost to address them.

I have been given updates from our hard working roads and street-lighting department. On the Dippen Bridge I have been informed that it's had its most recent 24 monthly General Inspection carried out on 10/06/2019, when the inspection noted the vegetation growing on the structure as with previous inspections. Unfortunately work required for this defect was assessed as Low Priority, noting that the vegetation should be removed. As always this work will be carried out as resources allow, with structures which have high risk / “High Priority” defects typically having resources allocated earlier than “Low Priority” work.

The array of existing signage at the Claonaig junction is long due an overhaul, as over many years there has been many additions tagged onto the original poles & erected around the junction. This work has been scheduled for over the winter, after the Capital Works programme has been completed at the end of September and the Winter preparations completed. The location is to be looked at with a view to rationalising signage and replacing it with whatever is necessary and still relevant being incorporated into larger signage to cut down on the amount of individual signage. i.e. should there be Islay signage at this location, should it be Tarbert/Kennacraig Islay Ferry terminal on the north directional signage.

In consideration, would it be necessary to have ongoing signage from Claonaig Ferry terminal to Claonaig junction if there is to be a larger information array of signage at the B842/Claonaig junction or would it be sufficient to replace with like for like, Tarbert 11 miles & Skipness 2 miles, directional signage, with the Brown tourist signage for Skipness Castle below, erected on two poles, It may not then be necessary to put any more signage beyond the Ferry terminal, pointing towards Skipness.

At an interval between Claonaig and Carradale, say for example Grogport, a confirmatory mileage information sign would be seen has helpful to visitors travelling South on the B842.

Again this request would require the A&B Network to look at and decide if the requested signage was necessary, after all the single track southbound/northbound road between the B842/Claonaig junction and Carradale continues south without a junction, until a vehicle reaches the B842/B879 junction in Carradale. Therefore if you travel south from the B842 Claonaig junction and when the proposed replacement array has been erected, there will be directional signage pointing south, (Carradale 15 miles, Campbeltown 30 miles), then not sure if a midpoint sign to say Carradale 7.5 miles and Campbeltown 23.5 miles would be required (distances used only for example).

The Whitestone hill carriageway damage is a continuing problem due to the geography of the road. There is a steep gradient on a sharp bend, larger vehicles travelling south from Carradale have to go into the middle of the road to negotiate the steep turn and loaded vehicles can be in danger of breaking their half-shaft, if they are in wrong gear or have to stop and then try to re-start their climb on the hill. The damage indicated is at the point where the large vehicles struggle to maintain traction and pull on the bituminous layer.

The location is part of the Kin Monthly North Inspection and is inspected on a monthly basis. While there is always damage of some kind, it usually within accepted tolerances, if not there is an instruction issued to repair, but nothing lasts that long due to the aforementioned conditions. There has been patches, jet-patcher treatment, permanent cold lay mix, but very quickly they deteriorate due to the roads geography.

This would require a Capital Works job to lessen the gradient and improve the corner, as the entry angle from the north is limited by the existing bridge & parapet walls and the steep drop of on the north side, therefore the only options available to achieve an improvement would be to continue westward into the private land to the west and then again re-join the B842 carriageway road at the top of the hill.

All work under Argyll and Bute Council’s Revenue Structural Maintenance Programme is prioritised on a risk based method through the ongoing Inspection Programme, as we do have to ensure all structures for which Argyll and Bute Council are responsible are assessed fairly and equally when allocating available funding.

While resources are always tight as the Scottish Government continues to make cuts to our local authority funding I will carry on pressing relentlessly for a fairer allocation of resources for every single corner of the Kintyre and Islands ward.

Cllr Alastair Redman