Where’s the roads improvements?

RESIDENTS across Dumfries and Galloway are not seeing any meaningful improvement in the condition of their roads and pavements — despite significant council investment — a councillor has warned.

Annandale South Councillor Carolyne Wilson not only highlighted the countless potholes on the region’s roads, but insisted that pavements and walkways are also in a poor condition, creating difficulties for wheelchair users.

This comes just two months after disability campaigners launched a fight for pavement repairs and safe crossing spaces in Castle Douglas.

At last week’s full council meeting, Councillor Wilson tabled a motion calling for a comprehensive review of how potholes and road defects are being repaired, and demanded that the Scottish Government deliver sustained, ringfenced funding for local road maintenance.

She acknowledged the council’s investment record but said the lived experience of residents told a different story.

The Labour Group leader said: “Despite that investment, many people do not feel that the condition of our roads and pavements has meaningfully improved.

“They see potholes reappearing, patches failing, and pavements continuing to deteriorate — and the state of our pavements can be particularly challenging for those in wheelchairs.”

She added: “This is about asking whether we are getting the best possible outcomes from the resources we have and whether there are ways we can do better.

“Our residents are not interested in how much we say we are spending. They are interested in the condition of the road and pavements outside their front door.”

The motion called for a review of repair methods, materials, timescales and quality assurance processes, as well as a review of how repairs are prioritised across A, B, C and unclassified roads.

It also called on the council to lobby the Scottish Government urgently for clarity on the timetable and distribution of its proposed national pothole fund, and to work with COSLA to press for a long-term funding settlement to address deterioration rather than simply manage decline.

Council leader Stephen Thompson confirmed he had already been lobbying through COSLA on the Scottish Government’s better surfaces fund — a £350 million commitment for road improvements across the country — but said the distribution model had yet to be agreed.

Council officer Stuart McMillan confirmed that a new national review of highway guidance by the Institute of Highway Engineers is expected this autumn, which the council will be required to assess against its current practices.

He also argued that the council’s latest customer satisfaction data from the Association of Public Sector Excellence had shown an improvement when it came to carriageway satisfaction.

A seminar will be held with elected members to examine the current position in detail, with the findings then used to identify where a more focused deep dive is required.