Road patched over 200 times ‘still dangerous’

Roads in a rural Herefordshire settlement have been patched over 200 times in 17 visits by contractors over the past three years – but locals claim they are still dangerous to travel on.

A resident put a Freedom of Information request to Herefordshire Council asking for the number of visits road contractors had made to Priory Wood, up a cul-de-sac near the Welsh border at Hay-on-Wye.

“They attend with multiple vehicles and multiple men, and on the whole do an absolutely shocking job,” the questioner added.

In response the council said there had been 218 “patching jobs” since 2023, carried out on 17 visits by contractors. it put the total cost of the work over the three years at £10,503.69.

“The costings are an estimate based on averages as we don’t hold costs for individual sites/visits,” the council’s answer added.

Meanwhile a local resident has launched a petition on the council’s website calling for “a full resurfacing” of the Priory Wood roads, which “have increasingly become dangerous due to extensive potholes and poor rainwater drainage”.

“A constant cycle of temporary repairs has failed and is not cost effective,” they write.

The petition has 27 signatures so far and runs until March 24.

One local, speaking anonymously as they did not want to displease the council, said: “We just want to be able to travel safely.

“We have high council tax rates, but what do we get for it?”

The council’s Cabinet member for roads Coun Barry Durkin told fellow members last week: “We have got many many pothole teams out there working hard on our highways.

“Unfortunately, the potholes have grown exponentially this winter.”