Forum Topic

Pothole repair

A Herbert just filled the increasingly large hole in the road outside my door- at 8.30pm on a Saturday night, which is impressive. Unfortunately, he spent about 2 minutes at it (he even left the engine running), which leads me to suspect someone will have to do it again in the very near future.

Mark Gormley ● 2872d39 Comments

Thank you for the information update on this Cllr Lambert, much appreciated.

Robin Dickers ● 2855d

If you reported this on their website they will normally inspect within a day or two. If there's a problem the normal fix time (per their contract) is 28 days, though I think that varies according to where and how serious the problem is.

Guy Lambert ● 2855d

Just reported a crumbling road causing flooding to the footpath in Isleworth.The latest local update to works on the HH website is for a footbridge in Heston dated JUNE 2017.Looks like it’s going to be a long wait😡

Robin Dickers ● 2855d

Live in church walk, we have lovely potholes which the council seem so attached to they don't want to remove them so they can put yellow line back and about  cycle track waiting at the bmr station coming home cyclist on path opposite station may be he had to be on that side to avoid the bus shelterin the middle of new track completely detached from bus stop on roadside,who will be responsible for that

Jean Harrison ● 2856d

Coincidence.  Residents have been reporting the Clifden Road potholes for weeks.

Reg Ghosh ● 2860d

It may be a coincidence but I used the Hounslow Council website to report Clifden Road potholes on Tuesday. They were filled in on Wednesday. On a previous occasion recently I reported a streetlight not working. 20 minutes later I received a call to check the location. Within 2 hours it had been repaired.

Margaret Wittich ● 2861d

Clifden Road's has the really deep potholes filled in- they were becoming a major hazard.

Mark Gormley ● 2861d

https://www.bmj.com/content/339/bmj.b4469

Guy Lambert ● 2863d

I don't know in this case but H Highways sometimes do temporary repairs of potholes that are deemed dangerous, with the real repair coming a little later.A recent case was at the traffic lights on Brentford High Street/Tallow Rd where there was what I described as a 'bicycle-swallowing hole'. It was temp repaired next day with the proper repair scheduled for a few weeks later. It has now been 'permanently' (nothing is forever) fixed. I have followed up on Clifden: there has been a pothole on the H Highways site since January - it's got the famous white paint and should have been filled weeks ago

Guy Lambert ● 2863d

“Time will tell how much the new lane is used. “Well… what happens if it doesn’t get used much? Obviously the money will be already spent.extensive study by BMJ – is it available online? Any chance to get a link?

Alex Shpinkov ● 2863d

Wait until after the rain and traffic passing over it. A repair, its pathetic. Watch and report back if you can. Also you could take photos. Very interesting.

Nicholas Beard ● 2863d

Netley Road is uncomfortable but not dangerous (except perhaps to mechanical items) and any uncertainty cycling there has to do with it being too narrow for a car and a cycle to pass each other where vehicles are parked. I find BMR quite scary, by contrast - a lot of quite fast traffic and a joke cycle lane completely vulnerable to the car door trick. Time will tell how much the new lane is used. I bet the Dutch made the same argument against cycle infrastructure in the 1960s.As to 20mph limits: the BMJ - with no axe to grind, of which you accuse RoSPA - did what seems to be an extensive study and came to the conclusion that 20mph had a dramatic effect.

Guy Lambert ● 2864d

Rate the 20mph zone on the ealing road. Solid evidence-based policy on a dangerous stretch where people speed. Not sure what costs are associated with moving a short stretch of road from 30 to 20mph but great use of a (presumbly) small amount of taxpayer cash imo. Keep up the good work!

Benjamin Inwood ● 2864d

Meanwhile back at the potholes!

Reg Ghosh ● 2864d

Even if it is someone else - if you are hungry you would be able to negotiate with the someone else to go for food rather than smartphone.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2864d

Yes I do cycle – that’s why I said it was fine for cycling, except the need to fix the potholes. And by the way I cycle a lot along Netley Road – and this one is not just ‘not fine’ for cycling – it is dangerous because of the potholes. There are basic, simple and relatively inexpensive things that need to be fixed first before spending big on new cycle lanes that will be hugely underused.As for the 20mph and the RoSPA ‘facts’ – they are not really facts proving the benefits of the 20mph limits. There are a lot of factors affecting the number of casualties, and the 20mph may or may not be one of them. As I pointed out before – the important factor is how many accidents/casualties were caused by driving between 20 and 30 mph in the newly introduced 20 mph areas before introduction of the new 20mph speed limit. Unfortunately these figures are conveniently not available.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2864d

Not if someone else is paying for it.

Philippa Bond ● 2864d

I don't know whether you cycle Alex, but it was not 'fine for cyclists' in my opinion as a cyclist!Actually, RoSPA back their opinion with facts https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-safety/drivers/20-mph-zone-factsheet.pdfHighlights from that - TRL in 1996 found that injury accidents were reduced by 60% and child injury accidents by 67%. 2009 review by the BMJ  found that 20mph zones had reduced casualties by 41.9% and fatal or serious injuries to children by 50.2%

Guy Lambert ● 2864d

Guy,BMR was fine for cycling as it was. All that was needed – repair potholes. There was no need to waste my (taxpayers’) money on the major ‘improvement’. This will not increase the number of people cycling – just another box ticked.20mph - No wonder ROSPA came up with some ‘evidence’ for 20MPH – it’s their baby and their box to tick. They offer just words – "A large number of evaluation studies have demonstrated a link between the introduction of 20mph zones and a subsequent reduction in casualties. The size of the reductions and the consistency of results over a wide number of areas are further evidence for this link" – but no proof to support them. In real life it does more harm than good – here is just one example: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/17/20mph-limit-dangerous-costly-reverse-council-admits/And – yes, I know your attitude towards Telegraph – but let’s concentrate on facts. How many accidents did we have in Ealing Road, Twickenham Road, Half Acre caused by vehicle driving between 20 and 30mph?

Alex Shpinkov ● 2864d

Forgot to check out Clifden. Will do in the next couple of days. Has anybody reported them to H Highways?New Road has little in the way of potholes as such, though the surface is very uneven from previous repairs (I did cycle down it today).

Guy Lambert ● 2864d

I beg to differ Alex.There was for practical purposes no cycle lane up BMR, just a wavering bit of paint in places. If we're serious about encouraging cycling, roads like BMR, where there's plenty of room and  a tube station to link to should be a priority. Much more than the rather pointless improvement of an OK bit of the A4 cycle lane.As to 20mph zones, there is plenty of evidence - for example RoSPA says: "A large number of evaluation studies have demonstrated a link between the introduction of 20mph zones and a subsequent reduction in casualties. The size of the reductions and the consistency of results over a wide number of areas are further evidence for this link"

Guy Lambert ● 2864d

Guy - what about the  enormous potholes along Clifden Road?

Reg Ghosh ● 2864d

Sorry Philippa,...It's same as if you were hungry and needed money to buy food... but then saw a good deal on a smartphone and decided to go for it instead of buying food.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2864d

The problem is that there is too much desire to tick the box rather than to do something that really makes sense. Boston Manor Road cycling routes were perfectly fit for purpose. And still someone decided to spend money on upgrading it.Same applies to wate money on the useless 20mph limits in Ealing Road, Twickenham Road, Halve acre/Boston Manor Road. There is no evidence that this would do anything good - but still - the box is ticked. Disgraceful :(((

Alex Shpinkov ● 2864d

I think it shows.I don't think this would be a priority if handled by the local authorities as far better options with wider benefits are more than apparent to locals.TfL don't seem to really have a full grasp of things in outer boroughs and the Mayors initiatives are shifting things away that benefit the vast majority to benefit a minority trend.So many images used to promote cycling are listed from pure idealism and always show either the prefect scenario of lovely flat open space.  London and much of it's out hinterland is hilly and in some places very steep.  The cities that have high traditional cycling use here and abroad are generally flat with low level inclines.But with the tube infrastructure budget cut to the point of detriment and termination ( Even seats are to have cushioning to be reduced by 80% ) it is actually passengers who are people and inhabitants that are being dealt a bad deal.  Bus services are being reduced by 6% even though usage has shot up recently.I understand the A4, a road with a ready made cycleway which has had most of it neglected for decades and bits of it chopped to suit alterations at minimal cost is way down TfL and the GLAs priorities and yet projects which entail a vast amount of civil works to be realised are getting approved.I suspect that the Boston Manor project which I think won't work as planned could well have funded the enhancement and correction of all of the A4 cycle ways returning it to being a rather useful cycle route.

Raymond Havelock ● 2864d

It's funded by TfL - mainly if not completely.

Guy Lambert ● 2864d

Is the Boston Manor Rd cycle path financed by LB Hounslow or is there an element of funding from the Mayor's office?

Pat Kingham ● 2865d

The point of the BMR cycle route is to provide decent access to the GWR from Boston Manor station.I actually have a significant beef with the A4 plans because all they do is provide a very minor improvement to a section of the A4 cycle lanes which has few problems anyway, other than unprotected crossings of side roads and entrances, which are not addressed by the improvements at all. The entrance to Transport Avenue - pretty daunting to cross on a cycle - will not be materially improved.At the western end of the improvement area we have the cycle lane-free zone of Gillette corner: this is by some distance the scariest bit of the A4 cycle lane. Just beyond the Eastern end you have Ealing Road, where the only option on the south side is to dismount or ride extensively on the (not shared use) pavement. Neither of these gets any attention at all.I suppose there's a bit of joined up thinking in that the improved A4 bit will link the BMR bit and support GWR employees to cycle to/from Boston Manor but for me other improvements should be prioritised

Guy Lambert ● 2865d

I find it disgraceful that so much can be spent on Boston Manor Road for a cycle route which goes nowhere with excessive civil works. Far more important is to have safe easy cycle routes not laden with highly dangerous potholes. Routes that go where people actually live and visit.So much is banged on about getting people cycling yet the most straightforward and sensible cycling routes and options are completely denied.Most easy routes have become unridable without risk to both machine and limb.Just how many potholes , ruts and bad surfaces could have been permanently put right for the cost of one cycle route that is not really of any significant practicality.?

Raymond Havelock ● 2865d

http://gondzio.com/2017/11/a4-great-west-road/

Philippa Bond ● 2865d

It depends where the funding is coming from and what it has been granted for - sometimes it has been bid for and won.

Philippa Bond ● 2865d

Generally I think our roads are in horrible conditions: lots of potholes in Lateward Road, New Road, Clifden Road, Netley Road... The recently repaired trench across Ealing Road near Coral betting shop and the Horseguardsman... And in the meantime money is being spent on, for example, cycle lane in Boston Manor Road. This can't be right. Something is wrong with the priorities.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2865d

Go to www.hounslowhighways.org Then click on to 'My works' and go from there or go to Hounslow Council web page click on report and it goes straight to Hounslow Highways site for you.

David Squire ● 2866d

How do we go about reporting them? There’s one right where people cross the road on the junction of South Ealing road and the industrial estate. My two year old fell into it. Luckily he was fine apart from a bumped head.

Natasha Adams ● 2866d

Walked past Clifden Road's pothole this morning.  Has developed into an impressive pit, with many small pebbles (a quick repair?) scattered around.  Look forward to seeing how many claims the Council gets for axle damage!

Catherine Jones ● 2867d

I reported Lateward (and maybe Clifden, can't remember) a couple of weeks ago. H Highways claim the Lateward ones don't qualify as deep/big enough so I have appealed.The white lines mean they are supposed to be repaired within 28 days - but they don't always keep to that.

Guy Lambert ● 2868d

At least you got a repair of some sort.  The pot-holes down Lateward Road and Clifden Road have been there many many months and are now dangerously large.  The ones in Clifden Road did have the honour of being highlighted with white spray more than a week ago but still nowhere nearer being repaired.

Reg Ghosh ● 2868d

New Road

Mark Gormley ● 2872d

Where's that, Mark?

Guy Lambert ● 2872d