Interesting pot hole saga ahead

[Drago]

About a month ago i reported a pot hole using the Fill That Hole app. Its on the inside apex of a corner on an unlit county road on the approach to our village. Its big, about a metre long, and encroaches about 0.75M into the carriageway, and is about 20 cm deep. I'm no expert on such matters but the road at that point is drained badly and when it rains a river of water runs down that side of the road, and I suspect it has finally undercut the road and the surface has collapsed into it.

Anyhoo, I've reported it, and they've not bothered to fix it. This morning I discovered that last night the son of a friend of Mrs D hit itnin the dark in his car, badly damaging the car and causing him to lose control. Car mullered, young river battered and bruised but thankfully otherwise OK .

We've furnished his Mum with a screen print from the app with the details of my report of the pothole so he has proof it was reported long ago. Wevd also printing d the confirmation email.

This is liable to cost the council thousands, perhaps in excess of ten grand if the car is written off. I know they're moaning about tight budgets, but I can't help thinking it would have been one helluva lot cheaper to fix the hole in the first place - that's Councils taking the short term view, then wondering why they have no money left.

I'll keep you updated over coming days as to his this progresses. I am hoping upon hope that they deny any knowledge so young lad can triumphantly shove it up their bottoms. I also hope he talks to the media, but that's his business as to whether he does.

 

[pclay]

Is the council aware of the pot hole. I am not sure on how the 'fill that hole' app works; does it contact the relevant council automatically?

My local council has a pot hole report tool on their website. I regularly use that, rather than the app.

 

[Drago]

It sends an email to the relevant council, and within a few minutes I get an email back fro both Fill That Hole and the carncils automated email response.

 

[Rooster1]

Only a specific notification of the issue to the council is valid, via phone, email or council online service.
Other third party online sites are not legally binding.

Only if the council have a) failed to inspect the road within the guidelines or b) if they have failed to act on reports within the guidelines will there be any liability.

 

[mjr]

Only a specific notification of the issue to the council is valid, via phone, email or council online service.
Other third party online sites are not legally binding.

Fill That Hole sends an email on your behalf, so that seems like it counts as a specific notification in your terms.

I use Fix My Street because a) I don't have to work out which council or agency is responsible and deal with each council's usually-registration-required usually-disability-discriminating website; b) the report is published for any other road user crashing into the pothole to find, rather than being hidden and potentially deleted in unprovable ways by naughty councils that want to avoid liability for non-repair; c) it's more automated and handles a wider range of problems than Fill That Hole.

Oh and I've been paid for damage caused by a fault reported with Fill That Hole.

Only if the council have a) failed to inspect the road within the guidelines or b) if they have failed to act on reports within the guidelines will there be any liability.

To be sure, check the council's Transport Asset Management Plan or equivalent, but I would expect all plans to include fixing vehicle-wrecking potholes within a few days at worst because it would arguably be non-compliant with the Highways Acts to do otherwise.

 

[mjr]

By the way, "you should have reported it on our website" is not a valid response to a pothole report. The only two acceptable responses are "we'll fix it within N days" or "we'll look into it"

 

[PK99]

It sends an email to the relevant council, and within a few minutes I get an email back fro both Fill That Hole and the carncils automated email response.

I used the site once. reporting a pot hole and an accident caused by the pothole where a cyclist had been thrown into the road - it was filled 24 hours later.

 

[raleighnut]

 

[snorri]

. I know they're moaning about tight budgets, but I can't help thinking it would have been one helluva lot cheaper to fix the hole in the first place - that's Councils taking the short term view, then wondering why they have no money left..

...................although, I'm liking the fact my council tax payments have increased by only 10% in ten years.

 

[chriswoody]

or "we'll look into it"

 

[benb]

Another issue is that councils have for years been doing cheap patch jobs rather than properly repairing, because it's cheaper in the short term, even if it means you have to repair the same hole again in a few years (so total cost is higher than a proper repair in the first place). That ought not to be allowed.

 

[Drago]

Only a specific notification of the issue to the council is valid, via phone, email or council online service.
Other third party online sites are not legally binding.

Only if the council have a) failed to inspect the road within the guidelines or b) if they have failed to act on reports within the guidelines will there be any liability.

I received an automated email confirmation from the Carncil. Therefore, I have proof the Carncil have been informed via the public email address they have for just that purpose.

Apparently, Mrs D says the Carncil have already been out and painted their mystic symbols around it, so its clearly been marked for repair prior tomlast nights excitement.

 

[spen666]

..... Car mullered, young river battered and bruised but thankfully otherwise OK .

.....

your concern for our waterways is admirable

 

[Tom B]

About a month ago i reported a pot hole using the Fill That Hole app. Its on the inside apex of a corner on an unlit county road on the approach to our village. Its big, about a metre long, and encroaches about 0.75M into the carriageway, and is about 20 cm deep. I'm no expert on such matters but the road at that point is drained badly and when it rains a river of water runs down that side of the road, and I suspect it has finally undercut the road and the surface has collapsed into it..

I have a similar one, I had a trip down a pothole that has been reported on fixmystreet some weeks earlier. It was so rough it caused my phone to jump out of my back pocket of my cycle jersey (in 12000 miles or road and MTB it never has before) and smash. The council are sending me a claim form.

A couple of years ago I bent a wheel on a long thin gap at the side of a sewer manhole. I phoned UU to let them know about the hole, not intending to claim for the wheel. They sent me a goodwill payment without asking - and fixed the hole by filling with hot tar a simple repair that has lasted for years. Chuffed I was.

 

[Biff600]

Something similar happened near the sh1thole that I live in......

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/...pay-10-000-bill-over-ferrari-damage-1-7880973