Drivers in Darlington have criticised the pothole situation on some roads and in the villages surrounding the town, with some saying the situation is so bad, it's like "driving on the moon, going over craters."
Over the last two weeks, residents and drivers have cited Grange Road in the town centre, Hutton Avenue, Salters Lane South and Riverside Way in Haughton and the B6279 at Summerhouse as some of the worst roads for potholes on roads.
Despite Darlington Borough Council saying that "we do all we can to keep the roads safe, we cannot repair every pothole as soon as it is formed," people impacted by damage to their cars caused by potholes have criticised the council's approach.
Earlier this year, Darlington was ranked as one of the top places in the country for tackling and managing potholes.
The town was one of just eight local authorities across the country ranked as 'green' in a traffic light ranking system devised by the Department for Transport (DfT).
One driver, who didn't wish to be named, cited Grange Road as one of the worst routes across Darlington, saying the situation was "horrendous".
They said: "The potholes around Darlington are absolutely horrendous, the council may as well put Coco Pops in them as they are there again three days later.
"Why are we paying road tax when most people have to fix their tyres every three months?"
Last week, Darlington Borough Council were again criticised after a driver said he had been left £300 out of pocket after his car hit a large pothole that badly damaged a tyre and kept his vehicle off the road for a week.
Matty Simpson, 31, from Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland, who works in highway maintenance in Darlington, was driving on Burtree Lane, near the A1(M) on January 25 this year, when his car clipped what he described as a “huge” pothole.
Mr Simpson said he immediately pulled over to the side of the road, where he saw the damage to his alloy and tyre, leaving the vehicle just about driveable to get him home.
Mr Simpson, who had just got the tyres three months previously, put a claim in to Darlington Borough Council on January 26, noting the location of the pothole, damage to his car and all of his details for their records.
Days later, he said he received a call from the council, noting his claim and saying that the local authority would be back in touch.
But the 31-year-old says he received a call a week later to tell him that the council couldn't find any fault and would not accept liability because it had fixed the pothole in a "timely manner", meaning they had "done their duty".
It's not just drivers who have taken aim at roads in Darlington.
A Darlington councillor previously said roads in his ward are like a "ploughed field".
Several roads within Councillor Matthew Snedker’s College ward are plagued by potholes and regularly reported by residents.
He said: “Cleveland Terrace, Nunnery Lane, and Baydale Road are like a ploughed field, yet they don’t fall below the threshold where we need to fill them. But residents’ perception is that they are awful.”
But despite this criticism, it was heard last month that one thousand potholes are being filled every month in Darlington.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, visited Darlington on January 29 to celebrate the town’s national recognition for tackling potholes, amid recent concerns from councillors and residents.
In response to issues raised about potholes, Darlington Borough Council said that "the recent prolonged period of wet weather has further increased the likelihood of defects developing, as water gets into cracks in the road surface and accelerates deterioration."
A spokesperson for the council added: "Although we do all we can to keep the roads safe, we cannot repair every pothole as soon as it is formed.
"Defects are identified either through our routine highway inspections or reports submitted by the public, alongside a schedule of planned maintenance.
Read more
"All reported potholes are inspected within 24 hours and assessed according to their level of urgency.
"Our highways team undertakes between 6,000 and 8,000 repairs each year, working continuously to maintain the network to a safe and serviceable standard.
"We encourage residents to continue reporting any concerns through our website."
Share