The City of Edinburgh Council is to discuss the way it carries out road repairs in the city.

Despite recent figures pointing to improvements in the standards of the Capital's roads, the council said it recognises the Roads Service "could and should be performing better".

Improved measures have been set out in the Road Services Improvement Plan, which will be considered by the Transport and Environment Committee on 10 August.

It states: "The Council needs to maintain a high-quality road network to ensure the safety of road users, to ensure road users can freely travel around our network and to protect the overall appearance of Edinburgh as a city."


Proposed measures include creating a single road repairs service which will "be responsible for owning the full ‘journey’ from inspection, through design to carrying out the repair/treatment", rather than various elements being carried out by different section, as is the case currently. .

This combined operational arm will look after all elements of the design and maintenance of everything from pothole repairs to a major surface enhancement, allowing "more effective asset investment decisions to be made".

In addition, the report recommends appointing a prime contractor to carry out major works on the Council's behalf, helping reduce delays to projects and securing competitive pricing.

Cllr Lesley Macinnes said investing in roads and pavements is a "major priority" for the council.

"But we need to ensure our Roads Service is properly equipped and structured so that it can successfully perform all its functions, including road repairs and maintenance and winter weather treatment. The draft Roads Services Improvement Plan will go a long way towards helping improve the standards of roads and footways across the Capital."

(LM)