Opposition councillors have claimed more money should be spent on repairing East Renfrewshire’s “crumbling” roads network.

The Conservatives proposed an amendment which would see an additional £5.5million spent on roads this year.

It came as Councillor Jim Swift likened the local authority’s roads to those in the “Third World.”

Cllr Swift also blasted plans to spend £26m on a new Eastwood Leisure Centre, claiming it would lose money.

Under the Conservatives’ amendment proposals, £15m would have been saved by scrapping plans for a new Eastwood facility and instead spending money on upgrades to existing leisure centres.

There was no challenge to the three per cent council tax rise or the 3.9 per cent rent rise.

But headteachers would have seen their budgets cut by £1m over the next three years, instead of the £500,000 which was eventually passed.

Prices for school meals would also have risen, while £250,000 would have been saved by purchasing cheaper technology for early years classes.

Backing the amendments, Cllr Swift said: “Our roads are important. I second my colleague’s bold plan to correct our crumbling, Third World roads system. Our roads are in terrible repair, they need to be better.”

Cllr Stewart Miller, leader of the Conservative group, insisted his party’s amendments were based on what residents had told him.

He said: “After listening to residents, we received numerous complaints about the state of our roads.

“East Renfrewshire is a thriving and sustainable place for businesses. This can’t happen with the current road network, as businesses will go elsewhere.”

Cllr Miller also claimed the administration had used ideas that his party proposed two years ago. He pointed to cuts in community wardens and savings in school energy bills as proof of this.

In addition, he proposed a new bylaw to stop what he described as “nuisance posters” in the area, as well as putting forward plans to stop taxpayers subsidising trade union fees within East Renfrewshire Council, claiming the cost was “unjustified”.

Cllr Miller added: “As a union member myself, our members pay a subscription to pay for union officials. I don’t see why taxpayers should pay for union officials.”