“Rip it up and start again”: Residents angry over state of Croydon roads
By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter
Potholes and popped tyres are causing a headache for drivers.
Residents living in New Addington say they are fed up with the potholes plaguing their streets, and want to see something done about it.
They said things were particularly bad in the area around King Henry’s Drive.
Croydon council said it has recently carried out 16 repairs, but some residents said patching up the holes wasn’t good enough, and think it needs to be resurfaced.
Glenn Butcher, who works at an MOT Centre in King Henry’s Drive, said he has seen drivers with burst tyres and broken suspension.
He said: “The council keeps coming out and filling them but they just fill certain ones. They need to rip it all up and start again, you can only repair something that is not repairable a certain number of times.
“We have had so many people coming in with burst tyres. It is the major thoroughfare that takes everyone out of Croydon. It is terrible. I look like a drunk driver going up the road because I am swerving the potholes.”
Mr Butcher said the problem was just as bad on the Bromley side of King Henry’s Drive, and on the way to Biggin Hill in the neighbouring borough.
Brothers Paul and Steve Saglan, who run Addington Charcoal Grill in Calley Down Crescent, are also fed up with the potholes in the area. They have had to shell out ÂŁ600 for popped tyres on delivery cars.
Steve said: “This year it is the worst I have ever seen it. They do stupid patch-up works and as soon as you get cold weather it goes again.
“You’re driving, trying not to crash into anyone when you’re swerving around the potholes.”
Paul Suter works across Croydon and Bromley as a cab driver and has had to replace two ball joints in his car’s suspension due to the potholes.
He said: “The ones in King Henry’s Drive are really, really bad. The council gets £200 more a month from us and they don’t fix the roads, cut the grass or clean the streets.”
A spokeswoman for Croydon council said: “Our crews inspected this road three times in the past month, most recently on April 20.
“To date, we have completed works on 16 issues, with only three remaining.
“These final non-priority issues are expected to be completed within the next few days, as they were not found to be particularly dangerous.
“All of the potholes determined to be dangerous were filled within 24 hours of inspection.”
Bromley council was contacted for comment.
Pictured top: A pothole in King Henry’s Drive in New Addington (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)
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What about Lodge lane and Kent gate way Pot holes. as a motorist my car is being effected and safety standards are not being maintained by Croydon Council. Some of the Pot holes that have so called being done the workman ship is to be desired and the bottom line is no proper inspection by the authorities are being carried out after so called completion of job. THE LONGER ITS LEFT THE WORSE ITS GOING TO GET.