Raunds Town Council pens pothole letter to NNC addressing 'widespread damage' done by poor road surfaces

Written to NNC’s executive member for highways, Cllr Chris McGiffen, the letter outlines the continued concerns raised regarding the condition of roads in Raunds.

The letter reads: "Beyond the immediate safety implications, the town council was especially troubled by the financial impact suffered by residents. Many incurred significant and unplanned costs: replacement tyres, alloy wheels, recovery charges, lost wages due to missed work, and the inconvenience of being without a vehicle.

"For some households, these costs ran into hundreds of pounds at a time when budgets are already stretched.

Most prominently, an incident in Brick Kiln Road caused ‘significant damage’ to vehicles in January and into this month, with the town council saying it had received over 40 reports from residents and affected drivers spawning from this incident alone including multiple tyre blowouts, damaged alloys, buckled wheels and issues regarding suspension and tracking, rendering some cars ‘undriveable.’

The potholes had been previously reported on FixMyStreet, an online tool whereby people can submit reports about local problems such as graffiti or potholes. As of today (February 18), there are 19 separate reports on Brick Kiln Road alone, which the town council says is ‘symptomatic of wider systemic weaknesses in the process.’

One report says: “My colleague and her very helpful partner had to help me after my front passenger tyre completely deflated after driving over/through.

“I had to have a completely new tyre fitted the following day, which was devastating as I had two new front tyres fitted on New Year's Eve. I understand this pothole has now been filled but sadly this was too late for me.”

Another reads: “There are three areas where there are large pot holes not far from each other in brick kiln road. These need repairing the road is awful.”

A prominent pothole has been repeatedly and increasingly noticed in Hill Street, near Raunds Fish Bar, a route regularly used by commuters to Manor School and Raunds Park Infant School in Mountbatten Way.

Drivers have been urged to be cautious when passing the fish bar, or parking nearby.

NNC, which was rated ‘amber’ by the government for its response to potholes, says that in order for a pothole to be considered a safety defect, it must be at least 40mm deep on busy roads, and 50mm on ‘local roads’ to help ‘prioritise’ maintenance.

Response times for maintenance, be it permanent or temporary, is dependent upon the type of road, the location and depth, categorised according to the severity of the pothole, and the risk it poses to the public. Emergency response is intended to take place within two hours, with a rising response time up to within 26 weeks for priority 4 defects.

The town council is asking NNC for assurances that the state of the roads will improve, and says the two year guarantee from the contractor, Kier, is ‘insufficient’ as deterioration often becomes noticeable over the course of multiple winters. The town council says the two-year guarantee promotes ‘minimal surface intervention rather than robust structural repair.’

The letter from Raunds Town Council goes on to add: “This letter is not an exercise in party-political attribution. The town council acknowledges inherited challenges. However, residents who are paying for vehicle repairs, losing income and then being told they have no means of recourse require reassurance that the system will improve and that meaningful change is underway.

“We therefore seek measurable commitments that road conditions across our area will stabilise and improve, and that the cycle of reactive, short-lived repair will be addressed decisively.”

If you notice a pothole which could cause safety issues in your area, report it here.