Council To Discuss Infrastructure Funding

Dumfries and Galloway Council is set to discuss the allocation of funds for the region's infrastructure next week.

The plans include a significant investment in local road improvements.

More than £13m has been requested for 2014/15 from the local authority's capital budget to cover a range of projects, such as road resurfacing to core paths in the area, and would be in addition to the £6m spent each year from the council's revenue budget on road repairs.

The request for additional funding is more than £3.5m over the budget agreed in October 2012, but Councillor Colin Smyth, Chair of the Council's Economy, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, said that this demonstrates the importance of improving roads in Dumfries and Galloway.


He explained: "The new administration's overall capital budget to be agreed on 18 Marc will set out our priorities in detail for the next three years, but also an overall strategy for the next decade which will see literally hundreds of millions of pounds invested in a whole range of projects from new schools to flood prevention schemes.

"A key part of that budget will be investment in our infrastructure, in particular road improvements. This funding request will need to be considered alongside the many others and the overall budget will be limited due to Government cuts.

"However, even at a time when the council is having to make savings due to these cuts, we are committed to maintaining and improving local roads as well as our coastal infrastructure which was so badly damaged by the recent adverse weather.

"Turning around the condition of the region's roads in the face of growing cuts will be challenging, but it is something we are determined to do because it is clear this is a major priority for people in Dumfries and Galloway."

(JP/IT)