Roads bosses urged to speed up repairs on crumbling carriageways in Renfrewshire

Councillor James MacLaren, who heads up Renfrewshire’s Conservative group, wants roads chiefs to confirm a timescale for when crumbling carriageways will be repaired – particularly where the route is near a school.

The Bridge of Weir, Bishopton and Langbank representative said he has reported problems with surfaces in his own ward, including Houston Road and the route to Gryffe High School.

He wants to see craters in the roads being fixed as soon as possible.

“Potholes are a perennial problem across Renfrewshire and my ward is no different,” Councillor MacLaren told The Gazette.

“With schools going back this month, there are going to be many of our youngsters travelling into school on their bikes or scooters, as this is seen as a safe and also active way to travel.

“That is why the council must outline a timescale to fix potholes as a matter of urgency, particularly those potholes which are on our school routes.

“We want to make our children’s return to school as smooth as possible and fixing our roads is one positive way of doing that.”

The call for urgent pothole repairs follows complaints earlier this year about craters in Beith Road, Johnstone, which were labelled “disgraceful” by some disgruntled motorists.

A council spokesman told The Gazette: “Since non-essential road repairs were able to resume, our roads team have been working hard to repair and resurface roads across Renfrewshire.

“This includes repairing any identified potholes in an area as a whole, rather than individually.

“We have completed almost 4,900 repairs since April, including emergency repairs carried out during the lockdown period.”

The spokesman also pointed out that the council has provided a record investment in the area’s roads over the past five years.

He added: “We are committed to ensuring our roads continue to be safe for motorists and cyclists in Renfrewshire.”

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