Cllr Ann Le Blond

Since becoming a councillor, it seems that there is a bit of a running theme in my inbox and meetings with constituents – roads.

Whether it be speeding, pot holes, parking or repairs; it is a serious problem and one that we cannot ignore as car ownership continues to rise.

South Lanarkshire Council is promoting the use of bikes and a green travel plan but it is not possible for everyone and so we still need to look at how we can mitigate roads issues.

I was therefore surprised to see that in one of the recent executive meetings I attended, that there was a call to cut overtime bills – a great idea to save money but at what expense to those who will now be stuck in even more pain due to roads being dug up?

SLC seek to only carry out nonemergency resurfacing and repairs during the standard working week.

Restricting weekend roadworks was outlined as a way of saving £98,000 per year in overtime costs.

My group of councillors warned the move would risk inflicting misery on the area’s drivers, as roads would be closed for longer due to repair crews downing-tools overnight and at weekends.

Surely it makes sense to look for a different approach to roadworks?

It would seem sensible to have crews working through the night, meaning that diversions and road works would be for shorter periods.

It is incredibly frustrating to be diverted or delayed by roadworks at times when absolutely no work is actually being done, and residents are absolutely fed up with unnecessary road closures.

Of course on paper it is a great idea to reduce the overtime budget but the impact this has really needs to be considered. Overtime should be considered on a case-by-case basis to minimise disruption to people’s lives.

Sorting out the roads should be considered a main priority.

It has a massive impact on people trying to get to schools, work or medical appointments. It also hurts local business by driving away their customers.

It really is my hope that the council now look at the arguments against this and work with the roads department for a sensible solution.