Pothole blitz hits 1,000 and counting
Thursday 14 August 2008
More than 1,000 potholes have been fixed by Haringey Council in just three months following its launch of a major new repairs blitz.
New figures show that 1,039 potholes were repaired by the council between 12 May and 8 August after residents cited them as their biggest highways concern.
The blitz has seen the introduction of two new highways inspectors to identify and report potholes over a two week period in each of Haringey's 19 wards.
That process began in Highgate, where 200 potholes have been repaired so far. Of the other wards prioritised by the inspectors so far, there have been 177 repairs in Fortis Green, 142 in Northumberland Park, 96 in Crouch End, 66 in Muswell Hill, 44 in Stroud Green and eight in Alexandra.
The council has also set up a dedicated pothole hotline - on 020 8489 3993 - enabling residents to report potholes anywhere within the borough at any time of day. Almost 200 people have used the line to report potholes so far.
The blitz was launched by Haringey Council following a record breaking On the Road to Improvement consultation carried out last summer.
More than 3,500 households responded to the consultation - the highest ever figure for the borough - with more than 40 per cent choosing potholes among their preferred three priorities out of a list of 14 options.
Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation, Cllr Brian Haley, said:
"Our residents gave us a clear message that they wanted us to improve the condition of the borough's roads, and that's precisely what we're now doing.
"I'm very pleased that our extra investment has enabled us to repair more than 1,000 potholes in less than three months. This work is making Haringey's roads safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, and it's important we keep up the momentum over the coming months.
"I'd like to thank everyone who has so far used the hotline. I'd encourage more people to give us a call and let us know about any potholes in your area so that we can make the necessary repairs."
As part of the blitz, the council has set a new seven day target for repairing all potholes. Previously the council's target for repairing the least serious potholes was 28 days.
Haringey will continue to repair those potholes judged to be most serious within 24 hours.
The council has also offered walkabouts to ward councillors in Highgate, Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Fortis Green, Alexandra, Northumberland Park and Stroud Green to identify potholes for repair.
As well as the hotline, residents can also report potholes online at www.haringey.gov.uk/report_a_problem.
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