Ayr has the filthiest streets in Scotland

Apr 3 2009

WE have the filthiest streets in Scotland.

That’s the damning judgement of watchdogs looking at how South Ayrshire Council is run.

And residents agree with this verdict, an Ayrshire Post street survey confirms.

The watchdogs’ report says the area’s cleanliness rating has fallen every year since 2005.

And this contrasts with an improving trend nationally.

The report says: “South Ayrshire’s cleanliness rating is noticeably below the national average, and is currently the lowest in Scotland.”

The damaging verdict comes in the recently published Best Value Audit Report.

The report praises the council in some of its services: education, community care, housing management and waste recycling.

But the watchdogs want to see improvements in street cleanliness, roads, planning services and shortages in affordable housing.

Surveys show 41 per cent of South Ayrshire residents consider beaches have become cleaner in the last two years.

But 46 per cent believe our streets have become dirtier.

And a random selection of our readers agree with the watchdogs that our streets should be cleaner.

But it’s not just filthy streets that are a problem for South Ayrshire, says the audit report.

For roads are crying out for better maintenance.

And South Ayrshire is the third worst perfoming council in Scotland.

The area has 45.1 per cent of roads needing maintenance, against a national average of 37.4 per cent.

The council is also struggling with planning applications – and 31 per cent of complaints to the Ombudsman about the council relate to how planning applications are handled.

This is worryingly high against a national average of 18 per cent.

The council has also failed spectacularly to get close to a target of 200 additional affordable rented homes each year.

There were just 74 in 2006/07, and only 54 in 2007/08.

Now the council’s target has been reduced to 140, but it is not expected to reach that either.