COUNCILLORS are being asked to recommend increased funding for Argyll and Bute’s roads – as the council faces a forecast budget gap of more than £6million.
A report has stated that the condition of roads across the area is likely to worsen if investment of less than £10m is made when the authority sets its budget in February.
An average of £8m has been allocated to roads in previous years, with an increased figure of £10m having been allocated in the 2025/26 financial year. The current block allocation for the next two financial years is reported as £3.8m.
But the council is currently considering several savings options to balance its budget for 2026/27, having endorsed some operational savings, which do not affect any jobs, last month. The latest update projected the mid-range gap at £6.1m.
The report will go before the council’s environment, development and infrastructure committee at its meeting on Thursday, December 18.
Executive director Kirsty Flanagan said: “The ASOR (annual status and options report) demonstrates that previous investment in the roads reconstruction programmes has resulted in only a slight deterioration of the road condition.
“This has only been possible with the support from members allowing an average budget of nearly £8m.
“Whilst the condition has slightly deteriorated, without the increased investment from council, the road condition would have continued to deteriorate at a faster extent, resulting in our road network being in an extremely poor condition.
“The condition surveys carried out nationally have a lag of two to four years (due to not all of the network being surveyed in one year).
“Argyll and Bute’s carriageway condition survey is anticipated to worsen should there be a reduction in available investment below £10m.
“Currently Argyll and Bute Council is listed as having the highest RCI (roads in need of repair) within our family group consisting of roads authorities with similar roads networks.
“This means that our roads index is the poorest of the eight family group members for rural authorities in Scotland.”
It is then recommended that the committee, “Notes the significant investment by council over the last few years which has allowed officers to reduce the deterioration to our road network and consider that the current block allocation for all roads and infrastructure services reduces to £3.823m in 2026/27 and 2027/28 which, if not increased in line with the report’s funding requirements, will mean a deterioration in our road condition and subsequently affect our communities.
“Recommends to council that they consider increasing the resource for roads reconstruction in 2026/27”.
