Driver fuming after near-miss due to pothole

A MAN has called out a council’s inaction in fixing a “dangerous” pothole.

Graham Swadling said he experienced a near crash in Gravel Hill after a farm vehicle hit the deep crater and its driver lost control of the steering and swerved into the opposite lane towards him.

Mr Swadling, who lives in the Henley area, said he travels along the road nearly every day and, until it is fixed, will no longer use the road at night.

The pothole, which measures around 50cm wide and 30cm deep, was first reported to the council online in August, but has still not been repaired.

It is located between Badgemore Park Golf Club and the Friar Park stables and has been logged almost 20 times on the council’s Fix My Street platform.

Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, said an order has been raised with its
contractor for the hole to be repaired.

But Mr Swadling said the wait is unacceptable. He said: “It has been reported for the last two months and the reports are getting worse and I feel that they are just being ignored. Nothing is being done at all.

“It’s a busy road. The other day we were coming out of Henley and were opposite the pothole when a tractor-type vehicle hit the pothole and lost control of its steering. Fortunately, they managed to correct it before we got to them.

“There are numerous potholes along that road but this is the most dangerous one I’ve ever seen, it’s just ludicrous. Of course, when it’s wet and when it’s dark, you can’t see it.

“Everyone is saying that you have to go into the opposite lane to get past it, which is madness. I can’t understand why the road hasn’t been closed.”

Mr Swadling said he was not satisfied with the council’s initial response to the reports in which it said the incident was under investigation.

He said since it was reported in August the hole had sunk further into the ground and the ground around it was cracking. Mr Swadling said: “The pothole had been there before and they have attempted to repair it but even when they repaired it, instantly the road surface dipped lower when cars began to drive over it.

“And, for a small road, there are massive vehicles that go along there because it is a shortcut from Henley to Sonning.

“I’ve tried to deal with the council before about it, not just me, but other people who have reported it, and all the council does is a temporary repair and walk away from it and it is allowed to get worse.

“Okay, you would have to close half the road to solve it but so what? It is better than someone getting injured.”

Other people anonymously reported the defect online.

Another posted: “This sink hole is a danger to life. Vehicles are having to take avoiding action by using the wrong side of the road. There will be a head-on collision any day now.”

A council spokesman said: “An order has been raised with our contractor for this defect to be repaired within the next 28 days.”