Even Joan Collins Complains about the Potholes in the UK

If anyone could make complaining about potholes glamorous, it's Joan Collins.

The Dynasty actress took to Twitter earlier today to rail against puddles at the side of a road in London, something which she's apparently been complaining about since 2013. 

https://twitter.com/Joancollinsdbe/status/693044830059024384/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 

And what better way to draw attention to the hazard than with a great pair of legs and some fabulous shoes?

While it's not clear whether Westminster Council immediately dispatched someone to fix the problem, someone did let Collins know they were "on the case".

As for the rest of Twitter, a lot of people were very concerned about her footwear.

 

 

Street Repairs Arranges a Free Tyre and Suspension Check With Halfords

Street Repairs has partnered with Halfords Autocentres to offer a FREE tyre and suspension check. This initiative is yet another way of assisting UK road users when their vehicles are damaged by the dreaded pothole or other road defects.

Tyres, suspension and steering can be susceptible after hitting a pothole but are also crucial components of any vehicle. With over 290 Halfords Autocentres nationwide motorists can now have peace of mind after hitting a pothole and have their vehicle checked at any Autocentre free of charge.

Partenering with Halfords Autocentres to bring the users of Street Repairs peace of mind if they think there vehicle has been damaged.

Working with one of the UKs most recognised motoring brands to ensure the safety of road users is yet another exciting step towards raising the national profile of Street Repairs. http://www.halfordsautocentres.com/offers/street-repairs

Thanks to Street Repairs, road users no longer need to track down the appropriate department or telephone number before reporting a problem, they simply submit the information online and Street Repairs takes care of the rest.

With more road fault reports being submitted and greater visibility of the progress of repairs, road users, councils and the highways agency can work together to keep roads safe and free from potholes and other road defects.

Street Repairs (streetrepairs.co.uk) has shown a huge increase in social activity over the past thre years. The site is accumulating more detailed reports from road users than ever before. It is hoped that exposure to Halfords Autocentre customers will generate further substantial increase in faults reported, as more and more members of the public become actively involved in monitoring the condition of the roads they use. 

Government Money To Fix Potholes "NOT ENOUGH"

Councils want more money to repair potholes Credit: PA

One Pothole Appears Every 15 Seconds

Details of how a £50m pothole fund is to be divided up between English councils have been revealed.

The government, which first announced the fund in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, announced the cash is being split between 118 authorities.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the government wanted to "tackle the blight of potholes".

The Local Government Association said it would take £12bn to fix England's roads.

The money is the first tranche of a £250m Pothole Action Fund. The funding has been calculated according to the "size of the local road network in the area".

It sees Devon County Council receiving almost £2m towards filling 36,830 holes while Slough gets £43,000 to help fill 811.

Mr McLoughlin said: "I know how important well-maintained roads are to people across the country. Almost every journey starts and ends on a local road, so the government is giving councils £250m specifically to tackle the blight of potholes in their area."

The DfT said the overall investment between 2015-16 and 2020-21 included funding for councils to improve bridges and street lighting.

A survey by the AA has suggested about 39% of its members have reported damage from potholes in the past two years.

And the RAC Foundation said there was an average of one claim for compensation every 18 minutes because of pothole damage.

Across England, Scotland and Wales 200 authorities dealt with 28,971 claims in 2014-15. Councils refused most of the claims, paying out in a quarter of cases. Average sums for settled claims ranged from £286 to £294.

See how much your council will get here or use our interactive map here

'One pothole every 15 seconds'

Birmingham, Sheffield and the Isle of Wight are not getting a share of the funding as their highways are dealt with under Private Finance Initiative contracts.

Local authorities in London receive separate funding through Transport for London, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own road maintenance funding.

West Sussex County Council has said it fills potholes at a rate of 70 a day. In March one hole became so large ducks started paddling in it. Between them, local authorities say they repair four potholes every minute.

Councillor Martin Tett, the Local Government Association Transport spokesman, said: "While £50m is a step in the right direction, councils need more than 230 times that amount to cover the £11.8bn cost to bring our roads up to scratch.

"The money announced will help those councils receiving it to tackle potholes, but it would not even completely cover the cost of the £69m faced by the average authority to bring its roads up to a reasonable condition."

 

 

 

 

source bbc.

 

 

Third Cyclist Killed By Pothole This Year

Not Again. To our knowledge this is the third reported death of a cyclist involving potholes this year. When will the powers that be realise that this HAS TO STOP. The death of this elderly man could have been avoided. 

An 83-year-old cyclist who suffered serious head injuries in a fall from his bike after striking a pothole on a busy main road, has died, it’s been confirmed.

Roger Hamer, of Manchester Road, Ramsbottom, died at Salford Royal at 12.45pm on Sunday, April 4.

Mr Hamer had suffered a ‘life-threatening’ head injury after hitting the pothole on Bury New Road in Ramsbottom on the afternoon of Saturday, March 5.

Mr Hamer, who had not been wearing a helmet, was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital.

Police said that there is no evidence to suggest that any other vehicles were involved.

Ramsbottom ward councillor Ian Bevan said he was saddened to hear of the death.

He said: “It is with great sadness that we have heard that one of our constituents, Mr Roger Hamer, who was injured when his bicycle hit a pothole on Bury New Road on Saturday, March 5, tragically died from his injuries at the weekend.

“My sympathies, and those of my colleague, councillor Rob Hodkinson, go out to Roger’s family and friends."

Street Repairs will continue to highlight road defects and bring to the public transparency and clarity to anyone who uses our services.