MOTORISTS would have benefited from improved roads if South Lanarkshire Council had taken-up Conservative plans to increase spending on surface maintenance and repairs.

Pot-holed and cracked carriageways are a familiar problem for drivers after the severe winter weather.

The opposition Tories wanted the council to inject an extra million pounds into protecting and improving surfaces as part of their proposed 2018/19 budget for the authority.

Councillors from other parties failed to back the Conservatives’ plans however, with independent and Liberal Democrat members instead voting with the SNP to pass the minority administration’s draft budget.

Councillor Alex Allison, the leader of the opposition Conservative Group, said the area’s road network should have been a priority.

He explained: “The terrible winter weather had a huge impact on roads across South Lanarkshire with countless residents dodging pot-holes and enduring very bumpy journeys.

“Allocating a million pounds extra for maintenance and repairs would have helped minimise the impact on drivers and our communities.

“Poor quality surfaces are not just an inconvenience for residents. They cause significant damage to vehicles, which hardworking people have to find the money to fix.

“This hits household budgets and also costs the taxpayer, as the council has to compensate many motorists whose vehicles have been damaged as a result of pot-holes that weren’t fixed quickly enough.

“That takes money away from vital public services like schools and social work.”

He added: “It is a shame the other parties decided not to support our plans because this was one of the common-sense steps that would have benefited everyone in South Lanarkshire.”