Why I despair at the state of our pothole-filled roads

Published: 25 February, 2011

• I WRITE in despair about the parlous state of roads in Islington, particularly in the Hillmarton Conservation Area. 

I understand the bad weather we’ve had this winter has exacerbated matters, but the wide and deep potholes on most roads were not caused by the recent snow and have in all cases been present since long before the winter, in some cases for more than two years. 

I live in Hartham Road and have a designated disabled bay. The potholes in front of my house are so large and so deep my parked car is constantly spattered with rain and mud by passing cars, such that I can barely see out of the window. Over the past three weeks, with the torrential rain we’ve had, I’ve had to take my car to the car wash every couple of days simply to see to drive – an expense I can ill afford.   

Since I have a designated parking space (something for which I waited more than 18 months) I cannot park elsewhere and, in any case, although the potholes are particularly bad in front of my house, the whole of Hartham Road is in very poor condition, with potholes every few yards. It’s particularly bad at the intersections with Freegrove and Hungerford roads.   

And Hungerford Road itself is one large pothole, particularly at the intersection with Middleton Grove, where my cyclist neighbours regularly risk their lives, and cars must swerve violently to avoid sinking into potholes or puncturing their tyres. The whole point of tarmac, I thought, was that we no longer live as in Dickensian times when passing traffic spattered water and mud over everything; but it seems in Islington we’re regressing rather than progressing. 

I’ve commented only on this small area, but Islington’s roads in general are in a dreadful state. Holloway Road, which, as a red route, is presumably the responsibility of Transport for London rather than the council, is a disgrace.   

I’ve written to the council’s head of highways, Martin Holland, to complain and imagine that he will respond (hands wringing) that the cuts mean they cannot do anything. But there have been no cuts to our council taxes, which my neighbours and I continue to pay.

These roads are unacceptable in a supposedly civilised country where we are spending millions on special roads for Olympic sportsmen and officials but are apparently incapable of maintaining the roads on which London’s hard-working residents live.   

Something must be done about the roads I’ve named, and done immediately, before a cyclist or motorist has a serious accident and the council is faced with lawsuits.

SUSAN LOPPERT
Hartham Road, N7