"Urgent resurfacing is necessary": Calls for action over potholes in 'overlooked' Northampton estate

Labour councillor Rufia Ashraf (Dallington Spencer ward) has called out the Reform-led West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) over the state of the roads in Kings Heath.

She said: "Why are the roads in and around Kings Heath being allowed to deteriorate to this extent?

"It seems that every journey involves navigating potholes, many of which have been left for far too long. This is not only frustrating for residents but also risks damage to vehicles and poses safety concerns for all road users.

"Urgent resurfacing is necessary."

After seeing the concerns raised by Kings Heath ward councillor Rufia Ashraf on social media, the Chron visited the estate.

Our dashcam footage shows large craters and badly deteriorating road surfaces across a number of streets, backing up complaints.

This newspaper previously reported that WNC said cold and wet weather during the winter had limited its ability to carry out permanent repairs. Despite recent heatwaves, many of the roads remain in a poor condition, with potholes and uneven surfaces still visible across the estate.

Responding to the concerns, WNC said repairs were being carried out in line with its risk-based maintenance programme.

A spokesman said: "We aim to deal with high-risk damage within 24 hours, medium to high risk within seven days, low to medium risk within 28 days and those of low risk within 26 weeks.

"All repairs in that area have been carried out within the above timescales and further repairs are scheduled accordingly. You can check where we've carried out repairs or where they're scheduled on the Wise dashboard.

"We're grateful to everyone who takes the time to report issues via our pages and we would encourage people to continue doing that."

Councillor Ashraf said she first raised concerns about the area more than a year ago, arguing that Kings Heath had been overlooked while investment was focused on nearby new housing developments.

She said: "Over a year ago, I challenged WNC to recognise that Kings Heath had been overlooked and was in need of regeneration.

"At the time, I raised concerns that while thousands of new homes were being proposed nearby, existing communities like Kings Heath also deserved investment in infrastructure, roads, public transport, green spaces and community facilities. Twelve months later, I'd like to ask residents a simple question...

"What improvements have you actually seen in Kings Heath? Are you upset about neighbouring development receiving investments? Has anything changed? Have our roads, green spaces, community facilities, transport links or neighbourhood environment improved?"

Reform councillor John East, who also represents the Dallington Spencer ward, has also been contacted for comment.