Asphalt and Potholes

Pretty simple I would think.......to make money. Councils are desperate for money. People expect them to provide services......but they need money to do so. Catch-22.

I don’t expect the council to do things for free. But my town has some of the highest council tax rates in the country. I *do* expect some services for the money I pay.


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I don’t expect the council to do things for free. But my town has some of the highest council tax rates in the country. I *do* expect some services for the money I pay.
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Why? I am assuming that the councils have to publish where the money is spent. Why are your council taxes higher? What are the details? I can understand how the NHS has more issues these days....among other divisions. If you are given £100 (just a number...not real) to provide services for NHS......but then you add a social service responsibility, that money has to come from somewhere......so somebody else loses that money. You give £5 of that money to this new program.....who loses that £5 from their budget?

I am NOT giving local councils a break on these issues. But.....and it's a big but.....over the years, more responsibilities are added to what the councils need to do....but quite often not more money. My opinion (based on no facts) is that the Govt is providing less and less money since they want/need it for other things.....which means councils have to raise more money to provide the same servies. How do they cope? How do you think they should fix the problem? More tax? Less programs (people won't like that)?

I am NOT giving local councils a break on these issues. But.....and it's a big but.....over the years, more responsibilities are added to what the councils need to do....but quite often not more money. My opinion (based on no facts) is that the Govt is providing less and less money since they want/need it for other things.....which means councils have to raise more money to provide the same servies. How do they cope? How do you think they should fix the problem? More tax? Less programs (people won't like that)?

More money from the government, would be my snap answer. I don't know why our taxes are higher. All I can tell you is that in the 8 years I've been paying council tax our payments have increased by 20% with zero corresponding increase in services. I'm sure there is more financial pressure on councils the way there is on absolutely everything since austerity began, but while I am sympathetic to that, the disastrous state of the roads is something that council should prioritise. In the long run, it would be cheaper to fix the roads than keep paying for people's damages, that's what's key here.

In the long run, it would be cheaper to fix the roads than keep paying for people's damages, that's what's key here.

I seriously doubt that. Again....it's a money thing. I'm willing to bet (absolutely nothing....nada) that fixing the roads will cost a lot more than people claiming damages. I would kind of think that the majority of issues (flat tires, alignment issues) will just be something the drivers will take care of on their own. Going through that hassle of dealing with "govt" is just such a pain.....I don't think most people would do it. Would I just get my flat tire fixed......or put in the paperwork to have the council take care of it? I wouldn't bother with the council.....I'd just pay for it and curse the bad roads......it's easier to do. I tend to think that's why so many businesses would rather deal with the lawsuits on some things rather than fix whatever issue it is.....would they rather spend XX amount of money fixing the problem?......or X amount of money on lawsuits? X is less than XX.....bottom line....

That’s terrible. I think I vaguely remember you talking about it elsewhere. I’m sure your city isn’t that deprived of shops etc that they had to do this.

In one of shopping areas, they’ve recently rebuilt a costa, which is super nice. Then half a mile down the street they’ve built a drive through  costa and a Starbucks accredits the street that ripped up a nice green area. Why?


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Wokingham is considered “posh”.  Or at least used to be.  The (now empty M&S has been sold to yet another charity shop.  That’s all the town is now.  Charity shops, banks, and estate agents.

An Aldi and Premier Inn in the centre of town are not going to “up” the place.   

A big park with green space for outdoor events (pop up cinemas, fairs, concerts), great play area with sand pit and splash pad, old fashioned ice cream parlour, etc. - that’s what this town needed!

For the councils and the potholes, it all comes down to their inspection and intervention policies, combined with people actually reporting defects to the council, rather than just moaning about it generally

I say this as someone who is a claimant non-motor personal injury paralegal. Half my job is claims against councils for defects in the pavements and roads.

The council is required under the law to maintain the highways and repair any dangerous defects. The line for ‘dangerous’ is pretty blurry, and councils are able to determine this for themselves. Most judges will defer to the individual council’s policy as reasonable on that front. Generally though, for defects in the road, a pothole has to be an average of 4cm deep before the council are required to do anything about it. For the pavements, it’s usually about an inch.

Alongside this, they’ve got a duty to inspect the highways at reasonable intervals. Again, the councils are left to their own devices to determine this threshold, but high traffic areas are usually once per month whereas more suburban/rural areas might be just once a year. If the defect isn’t there (or isn’t at intervention level) when they inspect, and no one actually reports anything to them in the interim period between inspections, then they won’t generally be liable for any damages resulting from it.

From my countless hours sifting through council inspection and report records, my best explanation is that people aren’t actually calling the council or reporting it online to them.  I always have people making claims for tripping on a pothole who tell me the defect has been there for ‘ages,’ but the council records almost never bear that out.

Sorry to bore everyone with the legal standards on potholes. It’s just nice to discuss a topic on here that doesn’t give me heartburn, unlike the visas.


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Oh that's interesting alisonr....

For the councils and the potholes, it all comes down to their inspection and intervention policies, combined with people actually reporting defects to the council, rather than just moaning about it generally

I say this as someone who is a claimant non-motor personal injury paralegal. Half my job is claims against councils for defects in the pavements and roads.

The council is required under the law to maintain the highways and repair any dangerous defects. The line for ‘dangerous’ is pretty blurry, and councils are able to determine this for themselves. Most judges will defer to the individual council’s policy as reasonable on that front. Generally though, for defects in the road, a pothole has to be an average of 4cm deep before the council are required to do anything about it. For the pavements, it’s usually about an inch.

Alongside this, they’ve got a duty to inspect the highways at reasonable intervals. Again, the councils are left to their own devices to determine this threshold, but high traffic areas are usually once per month whereas more suburban/rural areas might be just once a year. If the defect isn’t there (or isn’t at intervention level) when they inspect, and no one actually reports anything to them in the interim period between inspections, then they won’t generally be liable for any damages resulting from it.

From my countless hours sifting through council inspection and report records, my best explanation is that people aren’t actually calling the council or reporting it online to them.  I always have people making claims for tripping on a pothole who tell me the defect has been there for ‘ages,’ but the council records almost never bear that out.

Sorry to bore everyone with the legal standards on potholes. It’s just nice to discuss a topic on here that doesn’t give me heartburn, unlike the visas.


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I am part of a local American meetup group.  It happens that the town councilor for my area is a fellow American.    She asked people to send through a list of roads with potholes last week on Facebook.  As someone else said, it'd be a lot easier to send a list of roads that do NOT have potholes.   

And you are right, we do need to report them.  I always know if they've been reported or not because the reported ones are circled in spray paint by the council.

I recently drove around Ireland and lot and was surprised about the number and size of potholes there. 
And then I see this post and have noticed more potholes here as well. 
I think it's a seasonal thing, once spring comes the changing weather makes them worse.

Ooh, we've got a guy who's taken upon himself to fill in the Highland Council potholes. The roads up here make up 1/3 of the land mass of Scotland, so he'll be doing a lot of driving. What a guy!

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-43751119

Whilst definitely benevolent, I suspect he's really hoping for a good boost in his business. And who can blame him? It will probably really work!!!

I think it's a seasonal thing, once spring comes the changing weather makes them worse.

Like your jock itch.

Like your jock itch.

*note to self: don’t drink coffee when you read the banter between you two*

I just laughed so hard at four am at this comment my coffee almost went flying out of my mouth.

It's turned into a submarine movie. He's doing the old "run silent, run deep" manoeuvre now.

But he's near....I can sense him.

Do you all remember the artist "Wanksy" who 3 years ago set about shaming his local council in Greater Manchester over the amount of potholes by drawing obscene art around them?

https://www.indy100.com/article/this-man-is-painting-penises-on-potholes-so-the-council-has-to-take-action--ekSuZ63mgW

We lived in Louisiana for 17 years, the State Capital no less, and the local roads were so much worse than anywhere else we've ever lived including back here in England. (And I agree that they are really bad here as well). A friend back there at the time said the roads in Baton Rouge were way better than where he came from - Mississippi.