Jeremy Balfour MSP calls for action in tackling Edinburgh’s growing problem with
potholes.
The Scottish Conservatives have launched a national pothole campaign, ‘Save Our Roads’, to raise awareness of the decaying state of Scotland’s roads and bring the issue into the national agenda. The campaign is being led by Conservative Holyrood transport spokesman Jamie Greene MSP, who is calling for a £100 million Pothole Action Fund to be established to help tackle the growing problem.
Over the last seven years, central road maintenance funding from The Scottish Government has been cut by 20% leading to a surge in potholes and flooding on Scottish roads. The situation has been described as “untenable” by the Scottish Conservatives.
Scotland has 154,000 potholes, more than any single English region and more than Wales, Northern Ireland, the East Midlands and South East London combined. This has
caused compensation claims against local authorities to surge by £2 million over the last decade.
In Edinburgh, £241,215.64 has been claimed in compensation in the last 10 years.
Jeremy Balfour believes that this surge in compensation has put Edinburgh Council in the
impossible cycle of not having enough money to repair the roads but still having to shell out what little cash they have left to pay for repairs to vehicles.
Jeremy commented : “After years of neglect Scotland’s roads are in a shocking state, over a third are in need of repair. We have 154,000 potholes, more than any other part of the UK and more than Wales and Northern Ireland combined. Road users in Edinburgh are sick and tired of excuses for not tackling the appalling state of our local roads.
I urge you to send in details and photos of potholes in your area to https://www.facebook.com/SaveScotlandsRoads to voice your support for this campaign and to bring the dreadful state of Edinburgh’s roads to the attention to the Scottish Government.”
Jeremy Balfour was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament in May 2016. He is a member of the Scottish Parliament Social Security Committee and is the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Spokesperson for Social Security.
Born and bred in Edinburgh, Jeremy was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and went on to study Law at Edinburgh University and Theology at the London School of Theology.
Before becoming an MSP Jeremy worked in the legal profession and latterly as a Tribunal Member for DLA/PIP Tribunals and a number of faith-based roles including ministry work and the Scottish Churches Housing Action.
A lifelong Conservative, Jeremy was elected as an Edinburgh City Councillor in 2005, representing Corstorphine/Murrayfield Ward. He stood down as a councillor in May 2017.
He is married to Jude with twin girls. In his spare time he enjoys travelling, watching sport and reading.
