A flood of complaints from the Highlands has forced the UK Government to relaunch its consultation on plans to extend a fuel discount to rural mainland areas.
Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander announced yesterday that “supplementary” work would be carried out to ensure officials have “all the information that is necessary” to expand the 5p-a-litre petrol and diesel discount.
The surprise move was described as a “triumph for commonsense” last night and means that more villages in the region could soon be in line for cut-price fuel.
Widespread concerns had been raised in the north about the initial consultation exercise, which led to 10 communities being named last month on an application to Brussels to extend the discount, seven of which were in the Highlands.
An apparent mix-up at the Treasury over the size of a Sutherland postcode area meant no filling stations in the remote county were included on the original list.
Two areas of Sutherland, Durness and Lochinver, were then added to the application last week following an intervention by local Liberal Democrat MP John Thurso, while it was suggested a further three villages could also be set for last-minute inclusion.
Former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy subsequently revealed he had received several complaints from petrol stations in his Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency about the length and timing of the original consultation.
With the controversy threatening to engulf the flagship government scheme, Mr Alexander moved yesterday to resolve the issues.
Speaking at Treasury questions in the Commons, the Inverness MP said: “Further work is needed to ensure that we have all the information that is necessary to submit the application.
“That will be the subject of a supplementary piece of work and we will submit the application early in the new year.”
Graham Phillips, chairman of Highland Council’s transport committee and SNP councillor for East Sutherland and Edderton, said: “This is a triumph for commonsense.
“I think it’s fair to say they did mess it up but I’m in a forgiving mood and provided we get the right outcome, I don’t think it matters.
“Our trading standards department has an excellent relationship with all of the filling stations and I will make sure we contact all of them individually to see if they need advice.”