Region’s potholes sink to new depths

COUNCIL: ‘Short-sighted’ move sees no cash for craters under 60mm

Perth and Kinross’s pothole problems will sink to new depths after the cash-strapped council ruled out repairs for any craters less than 60mm deep.

The local authority has agreed to vary the threshold for pothole “intervention” from 40mm deep to 60mm.

Council chiefs hope the move will save £120,000 during the next year, despite admitting last month the road network “has been severely affected by potholes”.

Kinross-shire Lib Dem councillor Willie Robertson said: “This is not a joke but a serious proposal which was passed. As a cyclist and motorist I think this is a very short-sighted saving.

“I wonder what the cost will ultimately be when people claim for compensation from the council for the cost of repairing their vehicles?”

When is a pothole not a pothole? According to one Scottish Council the answer is when it is only 59mm deep. Cost-cutting Perth and Kinross Council has declared potholes will have to be 50% deeper in future before they consider filling them.

Last month local authority chiefs admitted that the road network has been severely affected by potholes caused by prolonged wet weather and the subsequent freezing temperatures and thaws.

However, when setting its budget for 2016/17 the cost-cutting local authority agreed not to fill a hole until it reaches a depth of 60mm in the hope it can save £120,000.

The previous minimum depth was 40mm.

The decision has caused anger among road users who fear the potholes will only deteriorate over time, leaving a bigger hazard to be dealt with in the future.

Kinross-shire Liberal Democrat councillor Willie Robertson said: “The anticipated ‘saving’ from this idea is given... as £120k.

“As a cyclist I know that damaged road drains are a real danger. Often you can’t avoid them because of traffic passing you.

“I am also aware of a few people locally who have damaged their cars on potholes recently.

“I wonder what the cost will ultimately be when people claim for compensation from the council for the cost of repairing their vehicles.”

A recent report revealed that Scottish councils spent around £1,400 a day on pothole compensation claims.

Perth and Kinross Council paid out more than £80,000 over a five-year period.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Committing to only fixing larger potholes is a false economy. The larger a pothole becomes, the greater risk it represents to road users and the more costly it becomes to repair.

“While in the short term the council might save money by repairing only larger potholes, it is saving up an expensive problem for further down the line.”

Previous council action to tackle potholes across Perth and Kinross has come under fire from drivers, with one road user accusing the authority of treating motorists with “utter disregard”.

Crieff man Robert Noble said: “When I moved to Perth and Kinross in 1971 the Perthshire roads were maintained to a high standard and the off-lets were cleaned regularly.

“Now there appears to be a ‘could not care less’ attitude within the council.”

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “To ensure safety, we will continue to undertake repairs in inherently dangerous circumstances as part of a risk assessment approach.”