First birthday of huge Taunton pothole celebrated with balloon

First birthday of huge Taunton pothole celebrated with balloon
Many also took to social media to celebrate the anniversary. Credit: BPM Media

Somerset residents have been celebrating the first birthday of a huge pothole in Taunton.

The gaping hole on the pavement of Eastwick Road, just before the Cheedon Road junction has been in place for a whole year after a tree collapsed from the same spot.

Work to repair it is yet to be completed, with Somerset County Council saying the delay in fixing it is down to the proximity of the roots of the tree to a gas pipe and high voltage cable.

Many have taken to social media to celebrate the anniversary and a balloon appeared at the site.

A post shared on the Taunton Matters Facebook group says: "Happy first birthday hole.

"Many thanks to Somerset County Council for helping you reach this milestone."

The post has since racked up nearly 500 reactions with many local residents wishing the inconvenience on the pavement a happy birthday.

One person commentated: "Maybe somebody ought to hold a socially distanced birthday party."

Another person added: "Feels like only yesterday you arrived, happy birthday big fella"

Someone else added: "Needs some balloons and a party hat."

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “We understand the frustration local residents may be feeling that this issue is taking a significant amount of time to resolve and we are grateful for their patience.

“The roots of the tree have become entangled with both a gas pipe and high voltage cable and this will require very careful extraction both in terms of the safety for those involved, and to ensure there is no serious damage and interruption to the power and gas supplies.

“We are working closely with the utility firm involved to bring this matter to a safe conclusion.”


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