Day: April 6, 2025

Council commits over £30 million to tackle Edinburgh’s broken roads

Councillors have agreed to take forward an ‘ambitious suite’ of infrastructure and road safety works in the coming year, worth over £30m.

The Roads and Infrastructure Investment – Capital Delivery Priorities for 2025/26 spreads the capital budget of £25.686m across six different work streams.

Carriageways and footways will receive £18.161m and focus on repairing roads and pavements. Street lighting and traffic signals have £1.220m, which will be used to maintain and improve this network.

Road structures take £1.545m and focusses on road bridges, foot bridges, underpasses, tunnels and gantries. Road operations will get £2.460m and encompasses drainage repairs, bus stop maintenance and surface enhancement. Other asset management and miscellaneous spending amounts to £2.3m.

The additional £12.5m of funding agreed in February’s budget has been integrated into the programme to improve paths, pavements and road conditions.

An extra £12.5m of funding was also agreed last year, with a record 460,000m2 of carriageways and 52,000m2 of footways receiving treatment in that period. The Council’s Road Condition Indicator (RCI), which signifies the percentage of roads that should be considered for investment, also saw a significant improvement in 2024/25.

The council will look to build on these results in the coming year by undertaking a combination of carriageway strengthening, carriageway resurfacing, carriageway surface treatment, footway asphalt, footway flags and footway slurry sealing.

The report also outlines Edinburgh’s Street Lighting Programme and looks further ahead to their Setted Street Priorities in the next six financial years with Frederick Street, Victoria Street and the Shore all featuring for refurbishment.

Edinburgh’s Road Safety Delivery Plan 2025/26 allocates over £6m across the service. As part of this, the Road Safety team will address concerns around the Dalmahoy Junction and prioritise infrastructure improvements for safe school travel, including additional pedestrian crossings.

There will also be provision for Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP), speed reduction measures and new 30mph and 20mph speed limit reductions over this and the forthcoming year. A full breakdown can be found in Appendix 2 of the report. Road safety progress will be reported to Committee in October, following elected member workshops to drive forward existing priority projects.

These allocations are driven by the council’s main priorities in the year ahead to promote road safety, study road accidents, review our vacant school crossing sites, take preventative measures and offer information, advice and practical training to road users.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m really pleased that these two ambitious and wide-reaching reports have been agreed.

“Our residents have made it abundantly clear that they want and expect continued investment in our roads network. Road safety also goes hand in hand with road condition and investment, with roads that are better maintained equalling safer roads for our children and young people. This is what I’m committed to delivering.

“From carriageway strengthening in Corstorphine and surface treatment in Seafield, to street lighting in Leith and road safety education in Ratho, we’re focussed on fulfilling our commitments and getting to work for the people of Edinburgh.”

A list of definitions for treatment specifications mentioned above in the Roads and Infrastructure Investment – Capital Delivery Priorities for 2025/26 report are below:

Carriageway Strengthening: A substantial treatment with a minimum depth of 100mm. This includes removal of the surfacing and base course of the carriageway. Deeper excavations may be required depending on existing condition. Deeper excavations are required a bus stops.

Carriageway Resurfacing: This treatment removes the surface course only. The depth of treatment is generally 40-50mm.

Carriageway Surface Treatment: A preventative maintenance treatment. A thin treatment that is designed to slow deterioration of the carriageway. It is used primarily on carriageways that are starting to deteriorate. CEC uses two surface treatments: Surface Dressing and Micro Asphalt.

Footway Asphalt: Break out of the existing asphalt footway. Depth will be dependent on existing condition. Kerbs are generally lifted and re-set as part of this treatment.

Footway Flags: Break out of the existing footway with flags (slabs) being installed. Generally, pre-cast concrete flags are used, however, the following material is specified in the World Heritage Site: Old Town: Caithness Stone Flags New Town: Yorkstone Flags

Footway Surface Treatment: A preventative maintenance treatment. A thin treatment that is designed to slow deterioration of the footway.

Roads and Infrastructure Investment Capital Delivery Priorities for 202526Download

Income boost for millions of pensioners and working people

Millions of pensioners will receive as much as £470 more a year added to their State Pension from today, thanks to the government’s’ ‘ironclad commitment’ to the pensions Triple Lock throughout this parliament

  • Millions of pensioners to receive up to an additional £470 in their State Pension this year.
  • Triple Lock means those receiving the State Pension are set to increase by up to £1,900 over the term of this Parliament.
  • Over five million households receiving working-age benefits such as Universal Credit will also see an average boost of £150, with Plan for Change putting more money in working people’s pockets.

This comes alongside the annual uprating of working-age benefits such as Universal Credit, with people receiving those set to receive an extra £150 on average over the course of this year – an increase set to benefit 5.7 million working-age households. Disability benefits such as Disability Living Allowance, Carers Allowance and child benefits are also set to increase by the same amount.

The Triple Lock – which guarantees that the State Pension increases annually by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5% – means the basic and new State Pensions are increasing by 4.1%, well above the current level of inflation.

These changes come alongside increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage, benefiting three million eligible workers across the country. With the National Living Wage increasing to £12.21 for those aged 21 and over and the National Minimum Wage for those aged 18 to 20 seeing a record increase to £10 an hour, three million workers will benefit, with eligible full-time workers set to see an increase in their annual salary of £1,400.

This support is securing Britain’s future through the Plan for Change, which is delivering security and renewal by kick-starting economic growth to put more money in working people’s pockets and rebuilding the NHS.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Our ironclad commitment to the Triple Lock gives pensioners across the country the certainty and security they need to live a full life in retirement.

“We are putting more money in people’s pockets and driving up household income as part of our Plan for Change.”

Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said: “Raising the State Pension and rescuing the NHS – these are this government’s priorities to give all pensioners the dignity they deserve in their retirement. Those who have worked hard throughout their lives, paying into the system, are owed nothing less.

“We’re improving the lives of millions of pensioners through our £7.84 billion additional funding for the State Pension this year.

“That means up to £470 extra in pensioners’ pockets from this week and comes alongside our work to boost Pension Credit uptake, and the £26 billion we’ve invested in the NHS that has seen waiting lists in England fall for 5 months in a row.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “With today’s increase in working-age benefits, and our ironclad commitment to pensioners through the Triple Lock, we are making the decisions that support those who need it in Britain, putting money into people’s pockets and delivering our Plan for Change.“

The uprating of State Pensions and working-age benefits amounts to a cash boost of over £6.9 billion, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring pensioners enjoy the dignity and respect they deserve in retirement, while also supporting low-income families.

It also comes alongside proposals for the biggest welfare reforms for a generation. These measures are designed to ensure a welfare system that is fit for purpose and available for future generations – opening up employment opportunities, boosting economic growth and tackling the spiralling benefits bill while also ensuring those who cannot work get the support they need.

That support also includes help for pensioners. The government’s drive to support low-income pensioners has led to 50,000 extra Pension Credit awards since the summer – an increase of 64% compared to the same period last year.

Pension Credit is worth on average £4,300 a year and also unlocks support including help with Housing Costs, Council Tax and free television licenses.

Support also includes a £742 million extension of the Household Support Fund in England, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026, providing support with the cost of essentials such as food, heating and bills.