Dave Dempsey, Scottish Conservative Councillor for the Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay Ward, has called for Lane Rental powers for Scottish Councils.
Cllr Dempsey said “We’ve all sat at roadworks waiting for the lights to turn to green and wondering why there are no roadworkers in sight and, apparently, nothing happening. There might be a good technical reason but it’s hard to avoid the thought that they’re off somewhere else on another job. That may be all very well for the utility company (or even the Council) but it comes at a cost to the public, in time, money and inconvenience.
“After some prominent recent examples in this area, I found myself asking why Fife Council doesn’t use Lane Rental, where utility companies rent the section of road being dug up, paying the Council so much per day. This incentivises them to get on with the work and give the road back asap.
“It seems that Scottish Councils don’t have that power, even though it’s been shown to work in other parts of the UK. We need action at Holyrood, so I’ll be calling on the Council meeting later this month to request that a letter be sent to the Scottish Government asking them to get on with it asap.