Gourock by-election candidate slams council repair work

The state of a fence between Gourock railway station and Kempock Street was highlighted by the SNP’s Gourock by-election candidate Robert Kirkpatrick in the Telegraph last month, and temporary repair work was carried out.

But Mr Kirkpatrick says the fence still poses a risk to the public despite the repairs and is urging council officials to ensure that a permanent solution is promptly put in place.

Robert Kirkpatrick said the standard of the work was 'bordering on a botched job'. (Image: George Munro)

He said: “I raised the issue of the fence being broken in the first place with the Telegraph and at that point it had been broken for a number of months.

“I was very pleased with the result and how fast Inverclyde Council went and fixed it, they did it within a week of us reporting it.

“I went down and looked at the quality of the workmanship, which I would describe as poor, bordering on a botched job.

Robert Kirkpatrick says the wires "could lead to quite serious harm". (Image: George Munro)

“It’s at the perfect height for a kid to grab hold of the wire rope and as any kid would do while they’re playing on it and slide their hand up it.

“In my opinion it would be extremely dangerous and could lead to quite serious harm.

“Rather than fixing it properly with the correct connectors they’ve used some type of shackle device to join it, bend the rope over and join it to a second bit.”

Mr Kirkpatrick has also highlighted a damaged railing near the Kennedy Steps in Gourock, which he says is another example of a small repair that the council could carry out to make the town feel safer and look nicer.

Robert Kirkpatrick at the Kennedy Steps. (Image: George Munro) He added: “The Kennedy Steps beside the Spinnaker which leads down from Victoria Road, the handrails there must have been damaged at one point and the council have come and cut them.

“Instead of cutting them flush with the path, they’ve cut them in such a way that have left almost a dagger-like weapon poking out of the concrete.

"When they’ve cut the handrails they’ve left an extremely sharp bit where if someone was to fall they could impale themselves.

“I feel that some of these smaller issues, that might not cost a lot of money, are things people will see on a daily basis, and it would make a big difference if these small things were done properly.

Robert Kirkpatrick says getting the work right first time would save money in the long run. (Image: George Munro)

“It would also save money if it was done right the first time round which would allow us to spend money throughout the town and indeed Inverclyde.”

A spokesperson for Inverclyde Council said: “During a recent visit, our contractor discovered further issues with this section of coastal railing. A temporary repair was carried out to allow the orange barriers to be removed.

“The contractor has now ordered and is awaiting materials for a full replacement of the stainless-steel wire, which will be carried out in due course.

“The council has raised the safety concern over the rough edges from the temporary repair back to the contractor. These will be made safe by the contractor in the short term while awaiting materials for the full repair.

“We are in the process of organising the necessary repairs to the Kennedy Steps.”