Pot Holing Anyone?

No we are not talking spelunking here - A new interactive service for reporting potholes on the roads has been launched by Essex County Council.

The online service allows users to pinpoint the exact location of the defect on an interactive map and also has a facility to upload photographs. You can report potholes, issues with water leaks/drainage defects with footpaths and other natters.

It asks for as much detail as possible to identify the location including road name and other identifiable landmarks such as a house number or nearby junction.

Users are then asked for details of the defect such as the size of the pothole/etc. and whether it is in the middle or at the edge of the road.

When the repair report is completed, a job number is given which allows users to follow up on the status of the repair at any time.

Site inspection
The council said it would schedule a site inspection as soon as possible after a report is made. A statement on its website reads: “From the location details you provide, we will check if the issue is already known to us.

“If it is not, we will assign the task to the officer responsible for that area who will visit the site to assess the situation. This will include deciding how urgent the repair work is and when it can be scheduled into the works programme.”

Given the poor condition of the roads in the parish, it will be a facility that will be of use to many local residents but the county council will have a long way to go to restore confidence in local road users with a recent survey showing more than 85% of Epping Forest residents were unhappy with the condition of roads in the area.

‘Ignoring problems’
Many, no doubt, will be sceptical on whether the new reporting system will make any difference, with the Parish Council Chairman John Glover having previously accused the county council of ignoring problems on smaller roads in the parish.

Gerard McEwen, the County Councillor representing Stanford Rivers, said he hoped the new system for reporting would lead to issues over potholes and other defects on the roads to being resolved more quickly.

The website address for reporting defects is:
https://secureweb1.essexcc.gov.uk/Highways/Report-a-highway-problem.aspx

Maybe we should find out just how effective this service is for ourselves - and give it a good run for the money.