I see Cromarty Firth Highland councillor Maxine Smith is trying to push ahead with plans for new toilet facilities at Invergordon. This is to be applauded.

I can see some tricky times ahead, however, especially with the ongoing credit crunch and, in my opinion, dire times to come for all.

If my memory serves me correctly, the toilet issue was ratified in the former administration of 2006, and Invergordon and Ullapool were put on the capital plan for new toilet facilities. However, Ullapool was the favoured option for first development due to its daily ferry traffic.

This committee decision, of course, did not go down well with the populace of Invergordon. The timescale for new toilets in Invergordon was for some time in 2012. Even that timescale was not set in stone.

It is my considered opinion that the only way forward for these facilities to be afforded for the town is for all agencies involved in the Highland tourism/cruise ships scenario to come together with a view to implementing such a convenience.

It always falls to Highland Council to find the resources for these schemes, but unfortunately the various directors hold on to their budgets very tightly. Who can blame them, in times like this?

Money is the burning issue here – it's not the capital cost involved but the revenue cost of running manned toilets. This amounts to at least £35,000 per annum. It really needs the port authority, Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to sit down and work out a feasibility plan to enable a way forward to solve this blistering problem.

Highland Council resources are finite, particularly in today's financial climate. Otherwise King Street's toilets will be with us for some time, which is rather unfortunate.

John R Connell, Murray Road, Invergordon, (Former Highland councillor).

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