Villagers slam council over 'disgraceful' country road near Northampton full of huge potholes

Villagers have slammed the council over a ‘disgraceful’ country road full of massive potholes near Northampton.

Described as resembling a 'warzone' by one resident, Rode Hill in Harpole has become a daily challenge for hundreds of motorists who must navigate around crater-like potholes.

The increased traffic on this road, and subsequently the decline of its condition, is attributed to the closure of Sandy Lane, which is expected to reopen on March 31.

The whole area around Sandy Lane and Harpole is currently a building site, with hundreds of new homes being built across three different housing estates, which is why Rode Hill is being used as a diversion route.

However Harpole residents say motorists are having daily punctures and have called on West Northants Council (WNC) to urgently intervene and fix the road.

While the road has been closed sporadically over the course of the last four months while WNC fills in potholes, many residents say it is not enough and are calling for the road to be completely resurfaced.

One resident said: “Cars drivers are having punctures daily...getting the potholes fixed does not seem like a priority at WNC.”

Another said: “The whole road is a disgrace and becoming dangerous. As taxpayers, we shouldn’t have to put up with the conditions of this road.”

Chron and Echo went down to the road and saw at least 10 huge, crater-like potholes either side of the narrow country road.

In response to the mounting concerns, WNC asserts that it is taking 'immediate steps' to address the issues.

Cllr Phil Larratt, cabinet member for environment, transport, highways and waste, said: “We understand the difficulties faced by residents in the area, and we want to assure them that we are taking immediate steps to address these issues.

“In collaboration with the local parishes, we have developed a comprehensive plan to tackle these issues. As the next phase of this initiative, we are set to deploy our latest machinery in the area, The Pothole Pro and Thermal Road Repairer, towards the end of November, which will help our contractor Kier accelerate remedial work.

“We encourage residents to stay informed by keeping an eye on our communication channels for updates on our progress.”

Click here to report a pothole to WNC.