RESIDENTS in Crossgates "waited far too long" for a potholed road to be resurfaced by Fife Council and now a utility company has dug it up.

Councillor Bailey-Lee Robb said Scottish Water works on Springhill Brae started not long after the carriageway was smoothed over at a cost of more than £168,000.

After previously complaining that it was the "forgotten village" when it came to road repairs, he said: "I'm going to express the frustration of the residents of Crossgates and Springhill Brae.

"That's almost £170,000 that Fife Council have spent on resurfacing it and it's currently being dug up by contractors for a utility company.

"I know the service is restricted in what it can do but the residents waited far too long for that work to be done and now it's going to be wrecked in their eyes."

Paul Hocking, the council's co-ordinator in programme development and asset management, said: "It goes without saying that's undesirable, if you're putting a new surface down you want it to have its life or at least not be going back in so soon.

READ MORE: Delays ahead in Crossgates for gas works

"There is co-ordination between utility operators and ourselves so that if work is needed we try and go in at the same time. It doesn't always happen."

Central Fife Times: Springhill Brae in Crossgates was recently resurfaced at a cost of almost £170,000 but now it's been dug up for water works.Springhill Brae in Crossgates was recently resurfaced at a cost of almost £170,000 but now it's been dug up for water works. (Image: Google Maps)

Fellow ward and SNP councillor, Alie Bain, said: "I'm disappointed Scottish Water have come in and dug the road up when it's only been newly laid.

"On the up side I've had a lot of complaints about water pressure at the top end of Crossgates so hopefully this will cure that and stop those complaints from coming in!"

Mr Hocking said that utility companies have a responsibility to reinstate roads to the same standard and that the council do monitor it to make sure it's done.

However, Cllr Mary Lockhart said: "In all the roads in Fife, every time you have someone with a service to sell, cable TV for instance, roads that have been relaid carriageway to carriageway are dug up a year later, or sometimes less than that, to put down cables.

"When they're done they don't relay the whole road, they infil the trench they've dug and put tarmac in it so you're left with this strip.

"So you had a beautiful stretch paid for with public money but now the road structure has been weakened and that's where it's more likely to break down and you get more potholes and cracks.

"However the contractor has infilled the bit of road they dug up, they're no longer responsible for the potholes and that comes back to the council to fix with more public money."

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She added: "I don't think there's one councillor who would disagree that if a private, profit-making company is going to increase their profits by digging up a council road then they should pay for a like-for-like replacement.

"That road structure will never be the same again unless they re-lay the whole thing and that's what doesn't happen."

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “Scottish Water is carrying out water pipe upgrades in the Springhill Brae area of Crossgates to ensure the community continue to enjoy clear fresh drinking water, while also reducing the chance of burst pipes.

"The work along the B925 is expected to last another two weeks, which includes the use of temporary traffic lights on Springhill Brae at Fairy Fa Crescent and Baxter Road.

"Once the work is completed, we will do all that we can to ensure the area is returned to its original state.

"We would like to thank residents and road users for their patience and understanding.”