Tuesday August 18th 2026
Scottish Borders Council’s chief roads officer Jason Hedley
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Scottish Borders Council’s chief roads officer today (August 18) used a public forum to launch an appeal for new recruits.
The rallying call from Jason Hedley came as it emerged that SBc Contracts – the council’s in-house team whose work includes ongoing pothole repairs, resurfacing, and general upkeep of the local road network – was facing a “never-ending process of recruitment”.
Much of those leaving have provided decades of loyal service and had decided it was time to retire, members of SBC’s External Services Monitoring Group were informed at a meeting today.
They have included the authority’s much-respected works manager Peter McNulty, who retired last year after 40 years with the council.
But a report to members stated: “We appear to be in a non-ending process of recruitment which brings with it significant challenges in both the identification of suitably talented individuals to the organisation and the knowledge and experience which is leaving the organisation.”
Mr Hedley addressed the issue head-on at the meeting, making an appeal for potential employees to get in touch.
He said: “We have and will continue to identify new talent, because talent is what it is, to take the council forward.
“We’ve lost Peter and other individuals over the last five years as well. Have we failed to deliver as a result? No, and we’ve actually progressed the business.
“We need to promote ourselves as an employer of choice. We have fabulous terms and conditions, we have fabulous annual leave, sickness benefit arrangements, support from our occupational health schemes, which extend to the families of the people we employ, pension benefits that we currently enjoy. They all put us ahead of a lot of local competitors in terms of an employment place.
“This is a public forum and I’m actively encouraging people who are thinking about a career in the council and within construction engineering to pick up the phone and contact me and any of the members here and we’ll have a conversation with you about what your aspirations might be because we want to identify future talent.”
Councillor Elaine Thornton-Nicol added: “Can I say to the public that the Career Pathway piece is huge, it is a massive change for this council.
“We’re not asking you to come in fully skilled, fully qualified. We are saying that if you have an interest in this, but not all the essential skills, that the council will support you through a training programme to enable you to gain those qualifications that you need to progress.”
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