concerns have been raised after it emerged work on projects to transform roads in Barrhead is to be delivered behind schedule and millions of pounds over budget.

The Barrhead News can reveal that improvements to Aurs Road face delays of three months, with an extra £2.4million being spent, on top of the original £7.5m estimated costs.

And the reconstruction of Balgraystone Road, which was supposed to have been finished by the end of last year, will not be complete until June.

The projects are part of a multi-million pound investment being delivered as part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal.

However, in a report produced by City Deal bosses, the delays and increased costs have led to the projects being labelled as having “significant issues” in terms of progress.

That has prompted East Renfrewshire MP Paul Masterton to seek assurances from both the UK and Scottish Governments.

He told the Barrhead News: “As part of the £1billion Glasgow City Region Deal, East Renfrewshire is set to benefit from £44million worth of investment.

“It is vital we see the projects delivered as soon as possible, so that people here start to feel the benefit of this landmark investment and, crucially, that we ensure the best price for taxpayers.

“I will be writing to both the UK and Scottish Governments to seek assurances.”

The City Deal investment includes a new railway station at Barrhead South, on the Glasgow to Neilston line, with a bus interchange providing improved public transport connectivity.

Aurs Road is to be improved, including the creation of a new roundabout and replacement of a weak bridge, while Balgraystone Road, opposite St Luke’s High, will be reconstructed to provide improved access and pave the way for the development of 200 new homes.

However, the Aurs Road improvements have been delayed as approval is sought from Scottish Water for ground investigation works.

As a result, this project will not be completed until at least October.

And the reconstruction of Balgraystone Road is being pushed back to avoid interference with exams at nearby St Luke’s High.

It was supposed to have been finished by the end of last year but will not be complete until June.

Spending on the Balgraystone Road project has rocketed by 75 per cent to £1.75m.

However, East Renfrewshire Council insists there has been steady progress on the City Deal, which is a partnership between ERC, seven other local authorities and the Scottish and UK Governments.

A council spokesperson said: “Detailed design work for upgrades to Aurs Road and Balgraystone Road are well under way, the construction of a new business centre at Greenlaw in Newton Mearns is set to commence in the coming months and we are progressing with plans to deliver a railway station at Barrhead South.”

The spokesperson added: “Due to the scale and complexity of the roads projects and the impact of work from other partners, the works at Balgraystone Road have been rescheduled, which will allow us to extend the scope of this project.

“This approach will allow a range of essential works to take place at the same time, in a carefully considered timeframe.

“In turn, this will reduce the number of road closures in the area and also takes other important factors into consideration, such as making sure there is no disturbance around St Luke’s High School during exams.”