Brent Council has revealed that one in six streets in the borough are plagued with potholes amid complaints from angry drivers.
The town hall admitted that 16 per cent of the borough’s roads are currently in need of repair following calls for it to take urgent action from motorists who claim there has been an ‘appalling’ increase in pothole numbers.
One furious road user submitted images of streets in a shocking state of repair slamming the council for failing to tackle the epidemic of potholes after a harsh winter of wear and tear.
Maydine Etienne, 45, who sent a catalogue of images from streets in Neasden to the Times, said: “The roads in Brent are in an appalling condition. When I’m driving I constantly have to play dodge the pothole and there’s a constant possibility of falling into them not just for drivers but pedestrians too.
“The council’s lackadaisical approach to carrying out repairs that are desperately needed is unacceptable. Every where I go there’s potholes, it’s a complete nightmare.
“By making our roads safe, they will avoid paying out on so many accident and injury compensation claims.”
Mrs Etienne’s concerns comes after figures obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act last month showed the council paid out more than £37,725 in compensation claims for pothole related damage and injuries in 2014 - 2015.
Tony Antoniou MBE, chairman of Willesden Green residents association, blamed the number of potholes on council negligence.
He said: “The council need to get their finger out, stop having meetings and start repairing.”
Residents have also taken their anger online by posting pictures of punctured roads to Brent Council’s account on social networking website Twitter.
One user @zeh_ra said: “Please mend the potholes on Copland Ave (in Wembley). The entire road is damaged. A large elderly care home is situated there. It’s unsafe.”
Cllr Joel Davidson, Conservative councillor for Brondesbury Park, has waded into the row saying there is an “embarrassing” prevalence of potholes.
He has teamed up with his Tory ward councillors Carol Shaw and John Warren to create an ‘alternative’ council budget for 2016-2017 which would allocate an extra £500,000 to emergency pavement and pothole repairs.
The alternative budget proposes the repairs would be funded by slashing the £462,000 the council spend on press and communications. A spokesman for Brent Council said: “On March 14, cabinet will be asked to consider the council’s highways maintenance programme which, as a direct result of listening to residents’ priorities, will see over £4.5m invested in highways maintenance.
“We have also agreed to consider further additional investment, particularly in high streets and shopping areas, and officers have been asked to work on detailed plans for consideration in the spring.”
He added they are devising a smart-phone app for residents to make it easier to report potholes and roads in need of repairs.
To report a pothole to Brent Council online click here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here