Activity
|
Caithness County Council was established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict., c. 50). Prior to that the responsibility for the maintenance of roads had been held by different bodies. The earliest statutory provisions for the maintenance of roads in Scotland from 1617 onwards imposed duties on the justices of the peace (1617, c.8, APS, iv.536). In 1669 a further act of parliament introduced the system of forced labour (or ?statute labour?) for roads maintenance. Statute labour was effective, at least in some rural areas, but was naturally unpopular. To remedy the defects of personal statute labour, counties or smaller areas obtained local acts of parliament for its abolition and the appointment of bodies of ?statute labour trustees?. The trustees would impose a local tax and spend the proceeds on road maintenance. The Road Trustees of the County of Caithness were appointed in 1815 by a local Act of Parliament for 'making effectual the statute labour and for levying conversion money in lieu in certain cases and for otherwise making repairing and regulating High Roads and Bridges in the County of Caithness'. The Road Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict, c.41) standardised the system and allowed it to be applied generally. In the early 19th century highway construction and maintenance was often the responsibility not only of statute labour trustees, but also of commissioners of supply, turnpike trusts and justices of the peace. The inconvenience of this system led several counties to obtain local acts for the abolition of turnpike trusts and statute labour assessments, in favour of a single county road trust, which would then be responsible for all public roads in the landward area. In Caithness the Caithness Road Trust was established by 'An Act for more effectually making maintaining and keeping in repair the Highways Roads and Bridges within the County of Caithness and for other purposes' 1860 (23 & 24 Vict., c.201). The Roads and Bridges (Scotland) Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict., c.51) abolished the remaining statute labour trusts and assessments and placed all turnpike roads, statute labour roads, highways and bridges under the control of a single county road trust. County road trusts were abolished in 1890 and their duties assumed by county councils acting through district committees (Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, 52 & 53 Vict., c.50). In Caithness the County District Committee for Roads was established.The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo. V, c. 25) abolished district committees and transferred all or most of their functions to county councils. County councils were abolished in 1975 and their powers transferred to regional, islands and district councils (Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, c.65).
|