Fed-up residents hold 'pothole party' to highlight poor road conditions
Locals gathered in a pub to ironically “celebrate” the road craters in Nottinghamshire.
Fed-up residents have organised a Valentine’s Day inspired “Love Your Potholes Party” to draw attention to the persisting road problems.
The Gedling Borough Potholes Facebook group gathered in a local pub to ironically “celebrate” potholes in Nottinghamshire last Saturday. Around 30 members were seen inside The Gedling Inn paying homage with romantic cards, cakes and signs dedicated to the road hazards.
Placards included ones saying “passionate about potholes” and “Gedling: World-beating potholes”. The group, which has more than 1,800 members, was trying to raise awareness about the increasing road craters in the area which many feel have gotten out of hand. The Facebook group encourages residents to post images of the worst affected roads.
The Facebook event page invite read: “Please bring anything you can that will make it go with a swing.
"Bring pothole cake, pothole jelly (also useful for filling potholes), Valentines cards expressing your love for potholes, pictures of your favourite potholes, banners, placards, flowers, pothole decorations: anything else you can think of that will be fun. Bonus points and a round of applause for anyone who manages to dress up as a pothole.”
Cllr Michael Payne, who serves as the deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council and Nottinghamshire county councillor, visited the party and expressed his agreement with the frustration of the attendees.
Love Your Potholes Party
Group moderator Brian Bailey, who helped organise the party, told the BBC: "We are trying to promote and raise awareness of the pothole problem while making light of the situation.
He added: "We want more investment and quicker responses to fixing this problem across the city."
Another group moderator, Chris Cann, told NottinghamshireLive: “We thought that people in the group wanted to do something, so we had a poll of various ideas that we'd come up with and the party was the most popular. Valentine's Day is coming up and that's how the Love Your Potholes Party came about. We took the love out to some nearby potholes.”
A Nottinghamshire County Council spokesperson said: "Recent severe weather episodes have taken a significant toll on Nottinghamshire's roads. We recognise that this is a really important issue, and we have secured a major new transport fund of £1.5bn which will be controlled by the new regional mayor and combined authority.
"When residents notice potholes, we ask that they report them through our website or the MyNOTTS App, and an inspector will assess the site as soon as possible."
The Gedling Borough Potholes Facebook group has previously made a pothole calendar and now plans to develop a new board game, with proceeds going to charity.
Why does the UK have so many potholes?
The UK is more susceptible to potholes because of its climate. Cold and wet weather, particularly during the winter months, means water can get into cracks in the road and then freeze, eventually leading to potholes. The heavy road use and traffic on the UK's roads is also a factor. Councils also have tight budgets to fix potholes.
How to report potholes?
Anyone who wishes to report a pothole can go to the government's dedicated website for the problem. From there, they will be directed to their local council's pothole reporting service, where they can fill in an online form.
To report the pothole, they need the location of the pothole and details of its size. They must also upload any pictures of the pothole. Councils vow to inspect the area identified within about three to five working days.
If the pothole is on a motorway or an A road then reports should be directed to Highways England. In Wales, roads are managed by Traffic Wales, while potholes in Scotland can be reported at My Gov Scotland. In Northern Ireland, potholes can be reported through the NI Direct website.
How to claim for pothole damage?
The government says motorists may be able to claim compensation if their vehicle is damaged by a road. They should contact the organisation responsible to tell them about the damage, why they think they are responsible and details of where and when the damage was caused.
According to the AA, motorists should start by reporting the pothole to their local authority. After having their car repaired, they may be able to claim compensation from the council.
Motorists should inform the council of the location of the pothole and include details of quotes, invoices and receipts for their repairs. If the claim is rejected, motorists can appeal.
