Heathhall residents are demanding council action over the “appalling” state of the roads in the area.
The local authority came under fire from people living in and around Barnett Road after insisting that existing potholes didn’t require urgent repair.
Resident Paul Muir said: “The road condition in Heathhall, but in particular Barnett Road, is utterly appalling.
“The road has deteriorated over a significant period and for the council to state that the potholes are not a priority is unbelievable.
“Particularly in bad weather, the potholes are hard to see and the piecemeal approach to fixing the road doesn’t help.
“We pay our council tax and deserve local authority roads to be maintained properly.”
South Scotland MSP Emma Harper wrote to the council on behalf of constituents and is demanding repairs.
And she was surprised by the council’s response after a site visit on January 30.
The MSP was stunned to be told that the potholes were not bad enough to warrant priority action and that the local authority was “unable to provide a specific timescale for repairs”.
Ms Harper said: “I have been contacted by numerous residents of Barnett Road in Heathhall regarding the road’s poor condition. Having visited the road for myself, I completely agree with them.
“The road is littered with sizeable potholes – and I know from constituent correspondence these potholes have already caused damage to residents cars.
“The response I have received from the council is unacceptable and bizarre to say the least.
“Barnett Road’s potholes are not insignificant. It is impossible to drive on the street without either driving into a pothole or swerving to avoid one.
“I am therefore calling on the council to prioritise Barnet Road’s potholes.”
George Irving, chairman of the Heathhall Community Council, added: “The response received from Dumfries and Galloway Council completely ignores the issues posed by the potholes in Barnett Road.
“These potholes have already caused damage to residents cars and they could be hugely damaging to cyclists who could really hurt themselves.
“We support Emma’s calls for urgent action for the council to address Barnett Road’s potholes, and indeed potholes right across Heathhall.”
A council spokesperson said: “At this time of year council resources focus on ensuring that the most serious defects are repaired first, whilst less severe defects are added to a forward maintenance list to address as part of our ongoing roads maintenance.
“The roads service is currently reviewing the level of resources required to react to the increased numbers of roads defects across the region.”
