Rural roads across Fife are being neglected by the cash-strapped local authority, a councillor has claimed.
Potholes and verge creep mean motorists are enduring surfaces in increasingly poor condition according to Councillor Andy Heer.
He spoke out after The Courier highlighted the state of the unclassified Q7 road between Kilmany and Cupar. Video of this road is above this article.
Mr Heer, Conservative member for Howe of Fife and Tay Coast, said he had reported his concerns to Fife Council about the Kilmany road and remains worried about many more similar routes.
Particularly bad examples, he said, were the roads between Rossie and Pitcairlie, near Auchtermuchty, Monimail and Letham and Falkland and Leslie.
As well as potholes, he said verge creep was a major problem which exacerbated flooding and created passing hazards.
Mr Heer said: “Obviously with cuts to the roads maintenance budget priority has to be given to the major routes but it means that all the minor roads are being neglected.
“I could show you many roads around the Howe of Fife that are in poor condition. Another problem is that the rural roads are getting narrower due to verge creep.
“I know of places where you can dig the grass back several feet and still be uncovering tarmac.
“The result is two-fold, it means that gullies and drains are covered leading to flooding and it also means that where previously two vehicles could easily pass in opposite directions one now has to pull over.”
Farmer Murdo Fraser said the Q52 road which serves his Pitcairlie Farm was “not fit for purpose”, with drivers swerving to avoid potholes.
“The repairs are non-existent. They come out and make temporary repairs but they might only last three or four days.
“It’s easy for people to blame farm traffic for the damage but that’s a myth with modern tractors. The problem is a lack of maintenance. If you hit one of these potholes you could be looking at a £200 repair bill.”
The council, however, said that state of unclassified roads in Fife had actually improved, according to the region’s latest road condition report presented in October last year.
Altany Craik, chairman of the economy, tourism, strategic planning and transportation committee, said: “This is not by accident. The level of unclassified roads treated increased from 27.8% in 2017/18 to 39.9% in 2018/19.
“The area roads programmes are determined by the local area committees and they have the opportunity to consider the specific demands on their area road network.
“Due to the winter weather, there is an increase of potholes at this time of year, however once they are either reported by our own inspectors or by the public using the online services at www.fifedirect.org.uk they will be repaired.
“All local authorities are facing severe budget challenges and a balanced approach is being taken to maintain Fife’s roads, including the rural unclassified roads.”
