News covers Thor House reopening buzz, concerns over new Thurso parking plans, and calls to fix Scrabster A9.
Thor House respite care may return this summer. Many people are happy to hear this news, and families will be relieved about this service. It stopped several years ago, and Thurso council asked tough questions, asking why it was stopped in the first place.
They await answers about Avonlea’s closure. Children moved from there to Thor House, a decision that caused the respite care to end. The reason for this remains unexplained.
Lack of openness leads to suspicion and distrust. The council has not explained this well, and the data on respite care was not collected properly, even though demand for this care was growing. A manager said Thor House was not fit and could not justify four beds; this statement is very disturbing.
In the late 1990s, 18 kids used Thor House, each using it for 30 days a year. 19 adults used it for up to 37 days. Autism rates have soared since 1993, and they have grown eightfold since then.
Encompass Caithness did a survey last year. It showed great unmet needs there, and the results were very upsetting, said one person. Someone resigned from Encompass Caithness last month, and they asked councillors for a local plan. Will they ever get it?
Will NHS Highland ever speak about respite care? This care is for families of adults who need support, and this falls under NHS Highland’s duties. NHS Highland has many local managers, but what are they improving, though?
It is good Thor House is offering respite again. It has been a long time coming.
Someone wrote about Thurso parking. They attended a meeting with 200 others, but Councillor Karl Rosie was not at this meeting. Thurso streets are empty of cars and people, and this cannot continue or Thurso will fail.
Shops need help, not problems. A few people had parking problems, and the council’s solution hurts everyone. It makes everyone pay for parking, and roads are in bad shape.
Do not spend money on parking meters. Spend money fixing parking areas, paint the junctions clearly, and make Thurso a free parking haven. Welcome customers to our town.
People need to park for shopping and doctors, and they also need to park for funerals. Current parking rules are total madness; remove unnecessary parking rules as plenty of problems already exist. Hospitals and schools need sorting out; leave the town center alone, unless you are fixing the road.
The Scrabster A9 issue needs teamwork. Matthew Reiss wants an “avalanche shelter,” but his plan lacks detail. Stromeferry used gabion baskets to stabilize rocks, and Reiss knew about challenges before 2022. He dismissed Maree Todd MSP’s responses.
Todd has funding for A9 improvements, which was confirmed in November 2024. She helped the Golspie Flood Action Group, while Reiss says he lobbied for years, but no real action has been taken.
Sir Edward Mountain and Maree Todd are sympathetic. Todd will meet with Transport Scotland on Valentine’s Day, and Scrabster was cut off in 2006 due to a landslip. Gabion baskets were then installed.
Someone seeks the report after 2017. Highland Council got funding for the Ullapool road, so Thurso councillors could have got funds for A9. The A9 supports international trade.
Seeking power means taking responsibility. Do not just obstruct, but collaborate, and work together on important things. Set aside politics and agendas.