New strategy needed for Renfrewshire's pothole problem

Labour member Alison Ann-Dowling tabled a motion at the latest full council meeting, calling for urgent changes in the way roads are fixed, after speaking to residents whose cars had been wrecked by potholes.

After the motion was passed by 21 votes to 19, officers will now have to compile a “comprehensive strategy” to bring roads, pavements and paths back to an “acceptable condition” and present a plan of action at the next full council meeting.

Councillor Ann-Dowling said: “Something is clearly problematic with our road repair programme and the SNP council has to take a fresh look.

“It’s clear we need more permanent repairs, rather than temporary ones.

“I spoke to a constituent who suffered hundreds of pounds of damage to his car from a deep pothole on a bend at Barochan Road, between Houston and Linwood, which appears to have been missed in the recent patching after I raised the state of the road with the council.

Councillor Alison Ann-Dowling wants action to tackle the pothole problem

“SNP councillors like to point the finger of blame at the last Labour administration but the SNP administration has been in charge of roads repair for the last five years. The buck stops with them.

“For years, the SNP in Holyrood has inflicted austerity on councils. Something has to give before Renfrewshire roads deteriorate further.”

Last month, Councillor Ann-Dowling highlighted major issues with craters across Linwood in places such as Kintyre Avenue, Cotton Avenue and Clippens Road, as well as potholes outside Houston Primary School and on Barochan Road, between the Deafhillock Roundabout and Magnus Road.

Some of the streets are included in the council’s capital roads programme but Clippens Road, for example, is only down for patching repairs, rather than a more thorough resurfacing.

READ MORE: Road bosses urged to fix 'horrendous' potholes damaging cars in Renfrewshire

Councillor Cathy McEwan, convener of the environment, infrastructure and land policy board, said: “Renfrewshire Council is moving into its fourth year of a £40million investment programme and that’s improving the road conditions.

“Not to my knowledge has there ever been an investment such as this.

“This shows the priority is given to roads in Renfrewshire. We’re accepting we have to keep investing and we are doing that and I would like to see recognition of that.”