Cllr Helen Dick gives her support to better pavements in Dundee

Following criticism by Dundee's sole independent councillor of the Liberal Democrat proposal to improve pavements in City, Dundee LibDems made clear today (Tuesday 17th April) that they intend to significantly increase expenditure on the Unadopted Footways Programme.

LibDem councillor for Strathmartine Ward, Cllr Helen Dick, said,"I am surprised that Councillor Borthwick has failed to appreciate the very great concern about unadopted and poor pavements in the City.

"It is one of the issues large numbers of Dundee residents have contacted the Liberal Democrats about in recent months.

"The City Council's capital budget last year alone was in excess of £43 million for that year alone and it is perfectly affordable to increase expenditure to improve these pavements by £300 000 per annum - this would account for less than 0.7% of the 2006/7 budget."

Cllr Dick continued,

"Mr Borthwick knows perfectly well that this is a small amount within the context of the overall multi-million pound budget each year.

"Elderly people in particular fear falling on bad pavements and it is about time that the Council addressed this issue properly.

"Let me stress - there would be no detrimental effect on other capital projects in Social Work or Education. Most of our capital expenditure is achieved through prudential borrowing and I am disappointed that Cllr Borthwick has failed to grasp the nettle of the need to improve many pavements, some of which are in really poor condition."