Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay’s Conservative Councillor is disappointed that an unholy alliance of Labour, SNP & Lib Dem councillors has rejected his request that Fife Council writes to Holyrood asking that Lane Rental be introduced in Scotland as soon as possible.
Cllr Dempsey said “Lane Rental, where utilities and contractors rent by the day sections of road that they want to dig up, has worked elsewhere to encourage completing repairs as quickly as possible. This can’t be done in Scotland till Holyrood changes the rules and regulations. That’s never quick, so the sooner it starts, the better.
“This afternoon, along with my Cowdenbeath colleague Cllr Darren Watt, I asked the Council to authorise a letter to the relevant authorities asking them to start the process. Unfortunately, Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems combined to vote this down in favour of sending it to the COSLA, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, for further discussion.
“There’s nothing wrong with discussion but whatever emerges will still require action from Holyrood and this diversion will simply delay that. It’s disappointing.