Edinburgh’s potholes get extra cash for permanent filling
Edinburgh's potholes are to be filled in. Picture: Ian Georgeson
HALF a million pounds is to spent over the next two months to repair thousands of potholes and pavements which have caused havoc in Edinburgh.
About £2 million has become available by “prudent” management of council resources and will be spent on a range of road and community projects by the end of the financial year next month, the city council has announced.
Instead of numerous temporary repairs, the council has vowed to carry out more expensive permanent repairs on up to 8,000 potholes through its “Right First Time” initiative.
The city’s road network has improved since 2007 when more than half the network needed repairs. Now the proportion is down to a third. However, the past two severe winters have taken their toll, leaving a large number of serious potholes in the city.
Last night Neil Greig, Scotland-based policy and research director of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said that while money to tackle potholes was welcome, “throwing money at the problem at the last minute” was not an ideal strategy.
“We would welcome any money going into the potholes repairs considering the backlog which has built up. But it has become traditional among local authorities to suddenly get a lot of money in the last few weeks. It is not the effective long-term planning we need for dealing with potholes.”
Ian Maxwell of Spokes, the Lothian cycle campaign, agreed that spending on repairs should be better allocated year-round and said particular care should be paid to those affecting cyclists.
“The council needs to make sure the edges of the road are examined and not just the central carriageway.”
Robert Aldridge, environment leader, said: “This administration has turned around the decline in the condition of Edinburgh’s roads. In 2005-6 over half of the city’s roads were in need of repair, that figure is now below one third.
“The additional £500,000 in the current financial year for permanent potholes repairs will be spread fairly across Edinburgh, with an additional ‘Right First Time’ crew in each of the six Neighbourhood Management areas. This will deliver approximately 8,000 additional permanent pothole repairs over the next two months.”
Last month it emerged that councils in Scotland had paid out nearly £2 million to drivers whose vehicles had been damaged by poorly maintained roads over the past five years from 2006-2011.
Edinburgh ranked third with payouts totalling £188,331.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Local authorities are responsible for local roads in Scotland. The recent decision to allocate part of the remaining Barnett consequentials (calculations to give public spending parity in different regions of the UK) for 2011-12 to transport is further evidence of the significant support that we provide for local authorities.”
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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Comments
There are 23 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 02:13 PM#19: ...and the picture was clearly taken last year or the year before. Look at the snow!
oTo
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 01:00 AMwww.freeimagehosting.net4dsxz
Irritatingly Intelligent Chauvinist
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 05:43 PMWith the amount of money Edinburgh council has wasted on ahem, traffic management, we should be driving on perfectly level, diamond encrusted Tarmac everywhere in Edinburgh.
Tobytoo
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 05:04 PM#19 My thoughts exactly.
undercover parking attendant
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 02:05 PMNotice that their clothing is immaculate. You can, therefore, see how little road repairs they actually do!
Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 01:25 PMWhy does it make the news when the council repair roads? It just goes to show how they have been neglected over the years in favour of building stupid traffic calming measures and pointless, congestion causing traffic lights.
Tintock Pete
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:49 AMCouncil does what it's supposed to do. Who'd a thunk it?
WJohn
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:02 AMHas any research group investigated the use of chewing gum in repairing potholes? It seems to have amazing wear and lasting properties.
The Diplomat
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 10:38 AMIs the big fat guy in the picture ready to jump in to act as filler? Not doing a lot - I think he used to "work" for Carrilion.
GraemeH
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 10:26 AMA non-story given the council is wasting the same amount EVERY DAY on its failed vanity tram project. In fact, the interest alone on the tram borrowings is more than the ENTIRE roads budget for the whole city.
William
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 08:55 AMWhile I do agree its long overdue how about filling in the 300 metre canyon which was dug up on Lindsay Road Newhaven over two years ago for tram works and has been left as an eyesore ever since. This stretch of road has been halved in width making a somewhat hazardous situation.
McNasty
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 08:52 AMIf the "Road Tax" was spent on the roads we would have the best roads in the world. Alas, along with fuel tax it is just another form of revenue raising.
Thomas the Tank
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 08:36 AMThe Moderator's blue pencil is certainly working overtime today! Here goes, anyway - The Scotsman must be so desperate for copy they're resorting to recycling their own stories. This 'story' (in reality, a council happy-clappy press release) was reported only on 27 January as 'surprise council projects' - the annual ceremony of burning the spare budget. City of Edinburgh Council carrying out its statutory obligations - now thet WOULD be a surprise!
Navvy
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 07:49 AMComment removed by moderator
gus1940
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 07:13 AMComment removed by moderator
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