South Ayrshire Council is set to earmark £104,400 from its capital budget in the next financial year to go towards a funding scheme to reduce damage and disruption on the rural road network due to timber transport.

The Council's Policy and Resources Convener and Vice Convener's Sub Committee has agreed to the move as a contribution to funding being sought from the Scottish Strategic Timber Transport Fund (STTF) for the construction of road junctions and associated signage where forestry roads meet the public roads in the Barrhill area of South Ayrshire.

The Sub Committee was told that the STTF was set up to facilitate the sustainable transport of timber in rural areas of Scotland for the benefit of local communities and the environment, maximising the value of the fund through innovative projects and partnerships.

Investment from the fund in rural transport infrastructure is expected to generate benefits to the community and the environment and to reduce damage and disruption on the rural road networks.

In September 2004, the Scottish Ministers approved £13 million of investment through the fund over three years, with the Forestry Commission Scotland holding and administering the fund.

The meeting was told that the B7027 Barrhill to Newton Stewart Road is a heavily used timber extraction route, but significant lengths of the road are very weak.

A project being proposed by the Ayrshire Timber Transport Group involves the construction of internal forest roads to link the various forests directly to the A714 Barrhill to Newton Stewart Road and also to link to the proposed new railhead loading facility.

Part of the criteria for seeking funding is that all parties demonstrate commitment to making contributions to the project, and the Forestry Commission, Tilhill Forestry, Scottish Woodlands and Dumfries and Galloway Council are also making contributions.

The contribution of £104,400 agreed by the Sub Committee is the estimated cost to construct three road crossings suitable for timber transport plus associated signage.

It was pointed out to the committee that the funding would not be required in the unfortunate event that the bid to the STTF was unsuccessful.

Said Councillor Gibson T. Macdonald, Leader of South Ayrshire Council, and Convener of the Policy and Resources Convener and Vice Convener's Sub Committee said afterwards: "Implementing this project should significantly reduce the number of timber vehicles on the minor public roads network and especially on the B7027 Knowe Road just south of Barrhill."

He added: "This should help alleviate the community concerns relating to road safety and the effect on the environment. It should also significantly reduce the annual maintenance costs on various roads in this area and beyond."