Fife councillor '˜shocked' over cuts to '˜pothole inspector' jobs

Cllr Linda Holt said she has received numerous complaints about the state of the roads in her ward and claimed her car has been in the garage three times in the last two months due to damage caused by flooding, potholes and debris on East Neuk roads.

She said: “It beggars belief that after years of salami-slicing the roads budget in the hope that no one would notice, Fife Council is now proposing to ‘lose’ two more Network Condition Inspectors, whose primary job is to identify potholes for repair.

“With fewer people to identify defects, fewer defects will be recorded and on paper fewer defects will require repair so the budget for them can also be cut.

“We need an urgent plan to improve our roads, not secret plans to divert resources from roads to shore up other services.”

Derek Crowe, senior manager, Roads & Transportation Services at Fife Council, said: “I understand the perception that our roads are deteriorating – however the annual Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey show that Fife’s road conditions have steadily improved since 2009.

“Like all services and council operations, we are having to make savings in roads and transportation, and this includes reducing staff numbers. However, we are actively developing new ways of working.

“In this case, we’re introducing new road inspection methods and a centralised system which will make our work more consistent and efficient. The standards for inspection and repairs will remain the same and our service level to the public will not change.”