Forum Topic

Pavement

On the 5th July I posted my thanks to a gentleman who helped me after I suffered a fall on a broken and collapsed pavement in Enfield Road on the 28th of June.I have since, I am glad to report met him again and was able to express my sincere thanks for help and assistance he gave me. However,to mine and his astonishment apart from some paint being spayed on the kerb-stones around this death trap no repairs have been carried out.I think that says a lot about the way this Borough is being or rather not being run.

Robert Ayres ● 2551d32 Comments

Paving slabs tend to look better than tarmac.  Resin bonded aggregate can look good too.  Although we are used to paving slabs I do wonder if they are the best option when there are trees which push up corners of the slabs.  Porous surfaces are more important now because of the increased risk of flooding from sudden heavy rainfall and the increased building and paving.  Paving and buildings also increase the heat and we need to green our greying city.https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/urban-greening

Philippa Bond ● 2510d

Thank you Guy.  I look forward to seeing another button which takes you through to reporting pavement problems to Hounslow Highways or maybe even just gives you a link to their web address.

Philippa Bond ● 2510d

Philippa, you're right. For some reason the LBH website leads you clearly to how to report potholes or dog fouling, and even problems with grass verges, but not uneven pavements.I have asked for this to be rectified.  It will be Hounslow Highways assessing and if appropriate fixing, but we should make it easy for residents to find the way to report.

Guy Lambert ● 2511d

Ah - no wonder I couldn't find it!  Well if I didn't know I should be looking for Hounslow Highways the place I'd look is the LBH website.  Why should I know it is Hounslow Highways?  It's as if I should be a Hounslow resident in the know in order to fall over a broken paving stone in the street. I've learned from experience that if I'm having trouble then I'm not the only one.  I think LBH need to update their website to send people in the right direction.  No wonder people still use www.fixmystreet.com - it covers all boroughs and sometimes it is one borough one side of the street and another the other.Thank you for your attempts!

Philippa Bond ● 2511d

One thousand apologies www.hounslowhighways.org.uk

David Squire ● 2514d

Are we talking about the same website? I haven't found a map.  I've gone from www.hounslow.gov.uk to https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20054/streets

Philippa Bond ● 2515d

Sorry; Hit on "Contact"  the Brentford on the map. Find location hit with mouse or whatever you are using a pin should come up. Type in location in big box. Click "Next" next page description shows with a red star Type in pavement and a drop down menu will appear. Any problems contact me and I'll talk through.

David Squire ● 2516d

So I get this:Home  Parking, transport and streets  Streets  Street problemsI've clicked on several of these and they don't give me anywhere to report a broken paving stone.

Philippa Bond ● 2516d

Go on to their web site. Click contact, type in address click next and a drop down menu will appear. Pavements is on there.

David Squire ● 2516d

It is still a Hounslow Highways contract though isn't it?They only talk about footpaths on their website.The LBH website has various categories for reporting problems about but does not include one for Pavements.https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20114/street_problems

Philippa Bond ● 2517d

"It does worry me however that it takes so long to mend the pavement when fly-tipping can be picked up so quickly."The reason is it's two different contracts - ah - the beauty of contracting services out. One is part of the street cleansing contract the other is maintenance, and ne'er the twain shall meet. Don't forget all this is supposed to be cheaper and more efficient - I think 'in your dreams' sort of fits the bill.

Vanessa Smith ● 2519d

Enfield Road has allowed parking on the pavements.  Actually skips dont generally get put in this road much any longer as its just way too expensive to get permits and parking suspension, so its just delivery lorries doing the damage.  Much of the pavement is just tarmac, but where there are paving slabs most are broken and pretty dangerous.

Emma Renton ● 2519d

Hurray - but not enough if the rest is also dangerous.  I wonder at how strong the paving slabs are and are they fit for purpose nowadays?  I expect there are heavier delivery vans parking on them than there used to be.It does worry me however that it takes so long to mend the pavement when fly-tipping can be picked up so quickly.

Philippa Bond ● 2520d

Be aware that, unless you can provide photographs of the area, complete with an illustration showing the exact point of the trip/other incident AND a visual depiction of the actual height of the trip/other hazard, which means a photo of the trip hazard with a tape measure at the side of it, even the no win no fee guys will not pursue a claim on your behalf.I had the misfortune to trip on a 60mm vertical obstruction (exposed cast iron inspection chamber frame)in the middle of a busy pedestrian walkway, which was repaired long before anyone gave me information about needing photographic measured evidence of the hazard being necessary.Currently being told I need a knee replacement as a result with no recourse.

Brian McMillan ● 2526d

Well everybody the pavement where I fell on the 28 of June was repaired today . The rest of the battlefield know as Enfield Road pavements remains in a dangerous state.

Robert Ayres ● 2526d

No nothing has been done

Robert Ayres ● 2535d

I see that there are lots of broken paving slabs still in Enfield Road, but I havent checked the one reported outside Number 12.  Has that been fixed yet?

Emma Renton ● 2535d

Last year the NHS waiting time for physiotherapy was four months.  This is definitely a good way to increase waiting times!

Philippa Bond ● 2538d

I've been informed by Hounslow Highways that the pavement should be repaired by Sept 7th

David Squire ● 2538d

An elderly friend of mine tripped and fell badly in Westminster borough.  The paving stone had been marked as needing repair.  She is in severe pain and incurred bills from her private osteopath after lengthy examinations by the GP etc.  She is suing the Council, I think she has found others who have fallen in the same place but still the pavement remains un-repaired!

Jennifer Selig ● 2546d

I used www.fixmystreet.com to report the paving stone in Oxford that caused me and others grief and more than one of us reported it.  I don't think the shop outside whose premises reported it despite them being my first port of call! I believe the problem was probably caused by the poor replacement of the stones following connection or work to services beneath a nearby manhole.  I reported it by getting someone to take a photo and uploading it which meant that for several weeks we could all see the report online and when I returned to Oxford I checked to see if the pavement had been repaired - and it had.  I'm not sure that the systems being used by other Councils are as good.  I certainly don't believe that LBE's is.I wish that more shopkeepers would take more responsibility for making sure that the pavement outside their shops was safe (and clean and clear of obstacles) making their premises more appealing and less dangerous! to visit.  If we all worked together then I think we could be more successful.

Philippa Bond ● 2549d

It is worth suing the council if you were injured in the fall.But make sure you get photos of the area where you tripped before the council carry out repairs.Some years ago my mother tripped over a paving slab that had an edgw sticking up by about 2 inches.She broke her arm and was off work for some time.Her solicitor managed to reclaim all her lost earnings plus £12000 compensation

Andy Pease ● 2549d

I reported this to Hounslow Highways the day I first read about the fall. As Hounslow Highways have marked the area with white markings they have up to 28-56 days to fix the problem. By being marked means an inspector has visited and deem to programme the work as per there contract. I will contact H/H and try to obtain an update.

David Squire ● 2549d

Robert, there are solicitors who will take on these type of claims on a "no win no fee" basis (I searched for "claims against councils no win no fee solicitors").I have no idea whether they are any good - perhaps there is someone on this forum who can advise.

Andy Herrick ● 2549d

I am considering it as I am still having physio and have lost earnings as I have not been able to work

Robert Ayres ● 2550d

Outside no 12

Robert Ayres ● 2550d

I was asked if I had done that too. In a way I wish I had but there was too much going on in my life at the time. As I said I was horrified to find because of social media and the street pancake vendor that I was not the only person to have fallen on that same paving stone that same afternoon.  There were several of us and we will probably all have some lasting problems with mobility as a result.Something I have wondered about recently is the quality and strength of the paving slabs in particularly in vulnerable areas eg corners where there is no parking allowed but delivery vans pull onto the pavement and whether these areas should or could be treated differently.  I thought that where there are crossovers the pavements were strengthened or supposed to be - is this actually the case? 

Philippa Bond ● 2550d

I just walked up Enfield Road, and was wondering where you fell.  I can report it again on a few websites, and see if we can ask Guy Lambert to help us report it, and get it fixed.  I did see a particularly nasty bit of pavement at the top towards Whitestile Road.  Please tell us roughly where you had your accident

Emma Renton ● 2550d

I dont think you could even call them pavements in Enfield Road - very dangerous, and well past their sell by date

Emma Renton ● 2550d

Enfield Road pavements are a disgrace. Presumably due to heavy vehicles parking on them on this narrow road. Have you considered suing the council?

Andy Herrick ● 2550d

Come and see CHurch Walk, north we have been waiting for years, but they managed to resurface Church Walk south ages ago,think they didnt realise theroad continued over the railway bridge, they come fill a little which lasts about 2 weeks with traffic from the office's continual during the day, we have more traffic than the south side.

Jean Harrison ● 2551d

You only have to look at all the pot-holes everywhere to see what the council think.  Some of the pot-holes have been around months or, in the case of Lateward Road, years!

Reg Ghosh ● 2551d