'A joke' - residents' anger as Gloucestershire County Council says pothole-covered road has 'no defects'
Gloucestershire County Council has been called “a joke” after saying a cul-de-sac road covered in potholes had “no defects”.
Maintenance man David Murray said he was “very annoyed” about the council’s “frustrating” verdict on Kent Close in Churchdown.
He believes the damaged road poses a safety issue, saying broken rubble from the asphalt scattered along the road is “a major trip hazard”.
He said: “You have elderly folk who live on the road and all they have to do is catch their ankle on one of those and they’re going to go down like a ton of bricks.”
When Mr Murray sent an image of the road to the council, the road maintenance team responded and said: "An Inspection has been carried out and no defect(s), in line with the Gloucestershire County Council Highways Safety Inspection Policy, were identified."
Rosomond Ness Walker, who has lived on the road for 50 years, said: “It’s terrible really. It’s been like this for three or four years now. They never clear it up properly so there is all this gravel or lumps of tarmac.
"Whenever you drive through, you are going through gravel. It all spurts on to the lawn and things.”
Neighbour John Armstong, 70, who has only lived in Kent Close for six months, is also upset about the potholes.
Mr Armstrong said: “I came down in November and I’ve seen it first hand, it’s just getting worse. I’ve come down from the Lake District and you’d think the roads would be worse up there but around this area, the potholes alone… this street is horrendous.”
Gloucestershire County Council has now said their officers will "undertake further investigations".
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said: “We would like to thank residents for bringing their concerns regarding the current condition of the carriageway in Kent Close, in Churchdown, to our attention.
"The road is inspected regularly in line with our Safety Inspection policy which follows national guidance, and any potholes that meet intervention level are then programmed for repair.
"We will undertake further investigations to establish how we can improve the current condition of this section of the carriageway in Kent Close.”
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