North Ayrshire gets extra £213,000 to fix potholes

North Ayrshire Council will benefit from extra funding to help cover the cost of road maintenance and make additional repairs to road surfaces, following the extended wintry weather.

Finance secretary Derek Mackay MSP took the decision to allocate an additional £10 million across all 32 councils. Details of the distribution were decided by the Convention of Local Authorities (COSLA).

Mr Mackay said: ‘Scotland experienced unprecedented levels of extreme weather in recent months, culminating in the issuing of our first-ever red alert for snow by the Met Office in late February.

‘The severe weather led to local authorities incurring unexpected additional costs to their maintenance budgets, and simultaneously caused more damage to Scotland’s roads network.

‘By assisting councils to keep our road networks safe and efficient, we’re not only improving conditions for road users, we’re also extending the lifespan of that network, benefiting the wider economy.’

Arran MSP Kenneth Gibson added: ‘During the severe weather, North Ayrshire Council staff worked hard and with determination to ensure communities were safe, clearing roads and fixing potholes.

‘I am pleased that the SNP government has recognised the impact of the weather and provided councils with this additional funding. Of this, COSLA has allocated £213,000 to North Ayrshire, some of which I anticipate will be apportioned to Arran.’

Over the past five years, the amount per person spent on local authority managed roads was £657.71, compared to £436 in England.