North Ayrshire Council has announced it is to invest in a programme of maintenance of roads, lighting and bridges.

The plans will see £5.6million spent on roads and footways, with £1.25million allocated to lighting and £710,000 to bridges and other structures. An additional £700,000 has also been brought forward to accelerate the delivery of the programme, with work set to take place over the next year.

David Hammond, head of commercial services, told the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald: “This is a significant investment in our roads, street lighting and other infrastructure. The cold and wet weather we have experienced over recent months has had a real impact on the condition of our roads.

“By increasing the budget, we can accelerate our maintenance programme – which is something I know many of our residents will welcome. During the winter months, our roads team work round the clock to help ensure more than 1000km of North Ayrshire roads are kept safe and accessible.

“This new investment will allow the team to deliver a substantial maintenance programme over the next 12 months.”