Scottish road riddled with potholes - despite residents paying thousands to council

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, the Scottish Borders Council, was paid around £28,000 by three frustrated households to take on maintenance of Broomhill Road, in Selkirk.

Neighbours met 75pc of the cost to add it to the list of highways, while the council chipped in the other quarter, £9,387.51.

But 24 years later, one of the families is accusing the local authority of leaving the road in a worse state than when it was handed over.

Forestry boss Elliot Henderson said: “From that time, we have received no maintenance.

“It was never surface-dressed, and because of that, the frost has gotten in.

“If you go up there on a wet day, the water cascades down the road. I have to clean out the gully myself.

“It’s like a forgotten road. Everybody is complaining.

“We never see a gritter, we don’t have any street lights, and no one ever calls us back.

“It’s like we are banging our heads against a brick wall.”

Mr Henderson paid between £14,000 and £12,000 of the contribution from neighbours, but said he feels the money has been wasted.

He added: “Now it’s in a total state of disrepair.

“The council don’t seem to realise it’s their road.

“It shows how disorganised they are.”

He claims that the council even sent a worker out to tell residents that the road was “a disgrace”.

Mr Henderson said: “Six weeks before Christmas, we even had a Scottish Borders Council representative knock on our new neighbour’s door, wanting to know who as responsible for the road because it was a disgrace and he had received complaints from Royal Mail and refuse men.

“It’s a health and safety issue now.

“If I go out with my wife, we have to change our shoes and get dropped off at the bottom of the road to walk up because taxis refuse to drive up that road now.”

With no street lights and an uneven road surface, Mr Henderson believes anyone walking along the road at night could easily break an ankle.

His daughter Tracey Keddie, 38, added: “It’s beyond a joke.

“It’s in a worse state than what it was when we approached the council to see if they would adopt the road.

“This is not just 24 years later that we’ve decided to sort it out.

“We have been trying on many occasions to try to get someone out to get it fixed.”

Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar, the authority’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, said: “I know there has been confusion between the council and residents.

“I know it has been adopted.

“I went up and had a look at it and have gone back to them.

“I agree it’s in a bad way.

“We will certainly try and do something.

“It looks like a complete resurface job from top to bottom.

“As far as I know, it should be on the priority list and it is not, so I will be checking that.”