A fresh strategy for improving Renfrewshire's roads and pavements with more permanent repairs must be produced, elected members have insisted.
Labour's Alison Ann-Dowling tabled a motion at the latest full council meeting calling for urgent changes in the way roads are fixed up after speaking to residents whose cars had been wrecked by potholes.
And after a fierce debate, she managed to attract enough support from the chamber to demand a "comprehensive strategy" be produced to bring roads, pavements and paths back to an "acceptable condition".
The motion passed by 21 votes to 19 and officers will now be compelled to present a plan of action at the next meeting of full council.
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Environment, infrastructure and land convener Cathy McEwan put forward an amendment demanding more recognition for SNP investment already underway, but she only garnered support from her 18 party colleagues.
Councillor Ann-Dowling told the chamber: “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.
"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.
"The public cares about getting the roads fixed, but I question whether the political will is there for the SNP to sort it.
"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 as opposed to a more thorough resurfacing.
Councillor McEwan added: "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."
The agreed motion reads: "Council agrees that undertaking longer-term road resurfacing work to prevent potholes from appearing in the first place must be given higher priority. Worsening roads and pavements show repairs are not keeping pace with need.
"Therefore, Council agrees to prepare for next meeting a comprehensive strategy to improve all of Renfrewshire’s roads, pavements and pathways to an acceptable condition."
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