Unknown cost to fix potholes a second or third time

9.33.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 30th Apr 2008

Many residents have told Councillor Ann haigh they are angry that our roads are not maintained properly

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Campaigner Councillor Ann Haigh has discovered that the Conservative County Council has no means of checking the quality of repairs carried out to potholes in Epping Forest.

Many residents have already responded to Ann Haigh's petition against the Conservative led county council's decision to change the criteria for dealing with potholes and misaligned kerb stones.

Now, Councillor Ann Haigh has received notification from the head of highways maintenance that if a repair fails quickly, the contractors are responsible for rectifying the problem. However, the council has no data to show how often this happens and whether the repairs are successful.

Commenting on the news Councillor Ann Haigh said "No sooner are potholes repaired, they become damaged again.

Without checks being carried out by the county council the costs of repairing potholes will simply pass from the contractors who dealt unsuccessfully with the first repair onto residents. Residents could end up paying two, three or more times for repairing the pothole down their street"