AUTHORITIES have received more complaints about potholes in a main street in the district than any other in the county, according to figures just released.


The statistics, which were released under the Freedom of Information Act, show Essex County Council has received 138 complaints about the state of Manor Road in Chigwell in the past year, with Honey Lane in Waltham Abbey also scoring high.

Michele Lime, 40, of the Delicacy sandwich bar near Grange Hill station in Manor Road, said: “There are always potholes.


“There are always building works going on along there and I think that contributes to it, with all the big lorries.

“There was a massive pothole near the width restriction. It was a great big hole and it was filled in, but it took two to three weeks.”


Pippa Bryce, 47, who works at Passion for Flowers, also near the station, said: “I drive from Loughton to Chigwell and I’m constantly complaining about the potholes.

“I’m dodging potholes all the time. They’re not just in Manor Road.


“I’ve put in complaints in the past, but it doesn’t seem to help.”

Barry Fleetwood, 65, who recently moved out of Manor Road but still uses it regularly, said: “I lived there for 20 years and I don’t remember it being resurfaced.


“It’s a major road and there’s been a huge increase in traffic over the 20 years that I lived there. It’s probably gone up in volume at least five or six times.”

Honey Lane in Waltham Abbey was the eighth most complained about in the county over the past year, with complaints send into the council.


A county council spokesman said: “Following the recent weather extremes which have taken a severe toll on our roads, we are determined to get them back to the standard our residents deserve.


“We are determined to fix as many as possible and make sure that they don’t return in the future.


“The priority pothole repair works started on Monday 2 July in Chelmsford and since 31 May, 1,904 potholes have been treated so far.”


He added that 14 holes in Manor Road and 11 in Honey Lane had been repaired since April last year.

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