17,000 potholes reported in Argyll, FOI reveals

Round Our Way director Roger Harding said: “Potholes are the bane of many of our lives and put drivers, cyclists and even pedestrians at risk of serious injury.

“The weather extremes that climate change brings are sadly creating many more of them at a time when cuts mean repairs are already not keeping up.

“No one should have to risk injury or breakdown to get from A to B locally. More investment is needed in repairs and new materials, but we also need politicians to get serious about tackling the climate change that is increasingly causing potholes in the first place.”

An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: “According to the results of the most recent Scottish Roads Maintenance Condition Survey, road conditions in Argyll and Bute have steadily improved over the past eight years.

“This is thanks to prudent investment and sensible engineering solutions to make best use of our budget. We’ve also secured £10m from the Scottish Timber Transport Fund over the past 10 years to enhance our roads’ programme.

“The council is responsible for maintaining 2,300km of public roads, that’s just over 4 per cent of the Scottish total.

“Twenty-four per cent of these roads are built on peat, which makes repairs more difficult.

“Only six other Scottish local authorities have a longer road network than Argyll and Bute.”