‘This stretch of the road is like what you’d see in a Third World country’
THE state of a Nottinghamshire road which has retained an unwanted title has been branded “pathetic” by one resident.
Westdale Lane, which runs from Mapperley to Gedling, has again been voted the county’s most pothole-ridden road by readers of the Post’s sister news website Nottinghamshire Live. It topped a similar poll last year.
Nottinghamshire County Council has targeted the long, busy road for repairs, with the most recent resurfacing work taking place between Oakleigh Avenue and Cavendish Road in January.
But sizable stretches are still in poor condition, particularly near Welbeck Avenue, where the surface is cratered and scattered with loose chippings.
The verdict of Nottinghamshire Live’s readers was echoed by nearby
residents such as David Wood, 76, who has lived in Westdale Lane for 40 years.
He said: “This stretch of the road is pathetic, the road and pavement is like what you’d see in a Third World country. Some of the potholes are so big and deep that you have to swerve to miss them – one I saw was like a coffin.”
Mr Wood said he put in a claim for £300 after his car hit a pothole and was damaged about six months ago, but received no response from the council.
He added: “Improvements have been made and the road from Co-op to Mapperley Top is actually quite good, but from Freda Avenue to the bottom of the lane it is still awful.”
Wilbert and Doreena Tulloch, of Glendale Close, which branches off from Westdale Lane, said the poor quality of the road was a safety issue.
“It has gotten worse in the last couple of years, sometimes I avoid driving because I think it can be dangerous on the lane,” said Mr Tulloch, 83, who has lived with his wife in the area since 1988.
“It is very bad on the parts that still need to be repaired. Everybody around here complains about it.”
Nottinghamshire County Council argues that highways authorities across the country face “significant challenges” exacerbated by severe weather conditions over the winter.
It has earmarked £33 million for improving the county’s highways this year.
Beverley Pateman, 71, of Orchard Court, acknowledged the Mapperley end of the road had improved, but “people around here do complain a lot about the rest of it”.
“The repairs are a bit rubbish most of the time as well,” she said.
A county council highways manager said the authority was considering repairs to sections of Westdale Lane which had not been resurfaced recently.
He said: “Westdale Lane is a significant length of road and we are aware there are still sections where the surface has deteriorated.
“Whilst we can’t currently provide a timeframe, we will be considering the remaining sections for inclusion in a future programme of works.
“We continue to urge residents and road users to help us keep Westdale Lane and all of Nottinghamshire’s roads safe by reporting any potholes through the Mynotts app or online at nottscc.gov. uk. Residents will soon be able to see improvement works planned in their area through the app.”