Cyclist injured after falling off his bike in Pyotts Hill

Andy Watts was riding along Pyotts Hill, in Old Basing, on Saturday, February 10, when he fell off his bike, he says because of poor road surface.

The 51-year-old was left with serval injuries including bruised and potentially cracked ribs, which has prolonged his recovery and has stopped him from riding completely. 

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Andy said: “I would definitely urge all cyclists, regardless of age, ride distance or fashion sense, to always wear a helmet when cycling.

“The state of the roads in Old Basing and throughout Hampshire has been in noticeable decline for the last eight to 10 years, but in my view, the decline has accelerated since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and are now shockingly bad. 

“The dangers presented by crumbling and potholed road surfaces to road users with minimal protection, such as cyclists and motorcyclists in particular, has reached a point where personal injury and damage are sadly all too common.

“I do wonder how many serious injuries or losses of life would it take before the county council will move the priority of road maintenance off the bottom of the list?

“When will they actually invest in the prevention of further decline then gradual improvement? Not even to mention the cost to local economies and individuals due to rising incidents of damage to motor vehicles. A longer-term view is very overdue.”

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It comes as Hampshire County Council is looking to increase the number of hours streetlights in the town are switched off.

Andy’s friend Julia Wright, who also lives in Old Basing, reported the incident to the county council and spoke about the conditions of the road, especially potholes in the cycle lanes, along with concerns about streetlights.

She told the Gazette: “The fact that there are no lights in Old Basing at night heightens the risk of accidents on the roads, especially if someone isn’t a local and doesn’t know the roads very well. 

“It’s lucky enough that one of my neighbours’ hedges is overgrown so covers some of the damaged areas so cyclists avoid the holes there.” 

The county council said that the road was repaired on Saturday, February 17.

A spokesperson added: “We know that potholes are always a concern for road users. 

“As a consequence of sustained periods of very wet weather combined with freezing conditions last winter, which resulted in widespread deterioration of our roads, the County Council committed an additional £22.5 million in July 2023 to spend specifically on road repairs.

“This extra funding has enabled us to fix issues more quickly, with more than 60,000 potholes and other defects already repaired since April 2023.

“All potholes that are reported to us are assessed and, where necessary, repairs are undertaken, with safety related defects being repaired as a priority.”