HL Deb 18 June 1984 vol 453 cc139-40WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in respect of the construction of a link road between Coire Cas and Coire na Ciste on Cairn Gorm in 1981 and subsequent years by the Highlands and Islands Development Board, they will state:

  1. (a) the total cost of the project to the HIDB;
  2. (b) the total cost of landscaping the road so far, and what further expenditure on such works is planned;
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  3. (c) what works have been carried out in order to landscape the road, and what further work of this sort will be undertaken;
  4. (d) what steps have had to be taken to upgrade the road to a standard acceptable to the Highland Regional Council, and at what cost;
  5. (e) the details of the construction and specification of the bitumous and basal layers of the road; and
  6. (f) why the road has not been fully landscaped three years after its construction.

The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Gray of Contin)

The information is as follows:

  1. (a) the total cost of this project to HIDB to date is ₣ 290,000;
  2. (b) and (c) it is not possible to separate out costs attributable directly to the landscaping works which were undertaken as an integral part of the overall works. It is proposed to carry out additional reseeding work this year at an estimated cost of ₣ 15,000;
  3. (d) the following works— as agreed by HIDB and Highland Regional Council— have been undertaken to upgrade the road to a standard suitable for adoption by Highland Regional Council—
    1. (i) the formation of stable embankment slopes on the uphill side of the access road and clearance of existing ditches;
    2. (ii) the construction of surface water cut-off drainage channels to intercept and confine the run-off;
    3. (iii) the construction of cascades and catchpits;
    4. (iv) the provision of supplementary herring-bone drainage;
    5. (v) repairs to culverts and culvert outlets;
    6. (vi) removal of unstable rocks;
    7. (vii) topsoiling and planting.
    8. The cost of these works was ₣ 167,488 including professional fees;
  4. (e) The road was built on a crushed rock base with a 75mm thick bitumen base coat, and surfaced with chips and tar; and
  5. (f) the road has been fully landscaped, but additional re-seeding work is to be done to make good disturbance caused by upgrading works and damage caused by the severe weather conditions experienced at the high altitude of the road.