A MAYBOLE farmer is still waiting for work to be undertaken by Transport Scotland four years after a drain collapsed under the A77 and flooded the fields around it.

James Caldwell is still waiting for Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government's transport agency, to start the work that they promised on his land near Maybole after the collapse in 2019.

According to reports, Transport Scotland closed the road to complete resurfacing work in late 2021 but chose not to fix the drain at that stage, a decision that Mr Caldwell called “astonishing”.

A report by Sharon Dowey South Scotland MSP said that Mr Caldwell offered to put in a new drain, however Transport Scotland said they would do the work.

Instead, a pump was installed to limit the flooding, but it has broken down and become overwhelmed by rainfall on several occasions which then floods surrounding fields with water "at least four feet deep across approximately three acres".

Health and safety officials have repeatedly been notified by Mr Caldwell of the dangers.

Ms Dowey said the lengthy delays by the SNP Government agency, Transport Scotland, has “needlessly run up a potentially huge bill for taxpayers”.

The Scottish Conservative MSP said it was “unacceptable” that the promised work has not yet even started.

According to Ms Dowey, Transport Scotland then claimed the work would be completed by September 2022.

In July 2022, when it became apparent the works were not imminent, Ms Dowey wrote again to government officials and was eventually told the work is estimated to be completed by Autumn 2023.

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The delays have so far reportedly cost more than £100,000.

James Caldwell said: “I find it astonishing that Transport Scotland closed the road at one point in mid-December 2021 to undertake resurfacing work above the burst drain and never attempted at that stage to repair it.”

The South Scotland MSP added: “This situation is completely unacceptable. My constituent has suffered ludicrously long delays for essential work to fix a collapsed drain that is wrecking his land.

“These delays have regularly flooded fields with four feet of water, and needlessly run up a potentially huge bill for taxpayers.

“It’s right that Mr Caldwell is compensated when his fields keep getting flooded but a lot of this could have been avoided if Transport Scotland had done the work back when they promised they would.

“This has gone on for far too long. This severe flooding is causing a real safety risk and damaging the land.

“The SNP Government agency, Transport Scotland, must get its act together and sort this immediately.”

Transport Scotland has been approached for comment.