A Tadley resident is calling on the council to fully resurface damaged roads after years of temporary fixes that haven't lasted.
Matthew Young, 51, has repeatedly contacted Hampshire County Council about large potholes on roads across the area, including Southdown Road, Huntsmoor Road, Bishopswood Road, Rowan Road, and parts of the A340. While the council has patched these roads annually, the repairs often fail by winter.
"The roads are destroyed with potholes and failed repairs," said Mr Young.
"One near the Huntsmoor Road junction is so big I could lie in it. I feel as if I have exhausted any possible routes of contacting the council.”
After exhausting all avenues with the council, Mr Young wrote to local MP Kit Malthouse in February 2024. The MP referred him to county councillor Derek Mellor, who responded by saying the roads were in "reasonable shape" and did not meet the criteria for emergency repairs.
Cllr Mellor acknowledged that junctions tend to develop flaws but noted that Hampshire has "5,200 miles of roads, mainly rural, and a lot of water!" He added that urban roads like Southdown Road often require weeks to address.
Meanwhile, Hampshire County Council recently received £4.2 million in extra funding for road resurfacing and pothole repairs.
Mr Young is especially worried about the condition of Southdown Road, where deep potholes force cars to swerve dangerously close to a nearby play area.
"The council says they’ve invested heavily in a ‘dragon patcher,’" he said. "That’s fine for quick fixes, but these roads need full resurfacing."
Despite reporting the issues on the council’s website, Mr Young received no response.
He’s not alone in his frustration. On the complaint website FixMyStreet, at least 18 residents have called for resurfacing on Southdown and Huntsmoor Roads this year.
One local, Bob Bending, commented: "I reported this a year ago. The repair must have been substandard because it’s just as bad again now."
A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “All potholes and road defects identified through routine inspections or reported online are assessed by our highways team. We always prioritise issues that are deemed a safety risk, especially on roads with higher traffic volumes or those with higher speed limits, and repairs are currently being arranged at locations on Southdown Road and Huntsmoor Road. While we appreciate that spot repairs are not always a long-term solution, they do provide an affordable fix that minimises disruption to road users.
"Resurfacing is a much more costly option, and we use data from road surveys and other information, such as the number of reactive repairs that have taken place, to decide which roads are most in need of a more comprehensive treatment. Southdown Road has been identified as a potential site for future resurfacing but we cannot confirm at this time when this may take place.”
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