A plan to spend tens of thousands of pounds on designing improvements to a Castle Douglas junction has been slammed by councillors.
The local authority is looking at upgrading cycle lanes and pedestrian access at the roundabout between Ernespie Road, Queen Street, Cotton Street and Oakwell Road.
But a potential price tag of £50,000 just to create design proposals, as well as a lack of any consultation to date, has been criticised by all three Castle Douglas councillors, Iain Howie, Pauline Drysdale and John Young.
Mr Howie said: “Now is not the time to spend a vast amount of money to draw up a proposal, without any physical work.
“Currently, we have potholes everywhere, forcing cyclists out from the side of the road.
“I would rather money was spent on physical infrastructure of roads rather than a proposal to redesign a roundabout.
“In all my 32 years with the police, I can’t remember an accident or injury occurring there. I don’t know what the perceived issue is they are trying to address with this.”
Mrs Drysdale added: “We’re concerned about the consultation behind this and the fact the councillors had no pre-discussions or warning, no information or consultation.
“They can’t just keep throwing things at communities without consulting.
“The community council and Castle Douglas Development Forum should have been consulted.
“Everyone wants paths to link the towns up. I’ve not heard one person asked for the roundabout to be changed.”
The first the councillors claim they knew of the plan was when the project appeared in a report to the finance, procurement and transformation committee on
Tuesday.
An estimated £20,000 price tag was put on coming up with the plans but Mr Young told the meeting that the ward councillors had been informed by officials the cost would actually be £50,000.
The aim is to create off-road bike lines – replacing the existing on-road ones – to keep cyclists separate from vehicles.
Mr Young said: “I don’t think a capital spend paper should be where ward councillors find out what is happening in their wards.
“There should be proper consultation before the spend is agreed.”
Economy and resources director Lorna Meahan responded: “My understanding was this information would have been presented through the relevant service to ward councillors on a regular
basis.
“This is really just reflecting historic information around contracts and procurement of contracts.
“Officers only disclose that at the point of bringing these reports forward and would be assured by members of the service responsible that this information, in terms of the application of it and the projects, would be updated
there.
The council was asked for comment.
