Council wasting money on infill

From: I.M.Griffiths, Fontwell Avenue, Bexhill

Readers living in the West parts of Bexhill, will no doubt use Westcourt Drive.

This road is used by double deck buses and is parked both sides. Several years ago the surface started to break up and a pronounced area of subsidence appeared. This was in-filled by the ESCC as a pothole and sank again.

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Because of the parking, dangerous surface and growing depth of the subsidence, vehicles were and continue to swerve to avoid damage and injury. I wrote to the East Sussex County Council in March of this year as follows:

‘My opinion (as the retired Head of a Local Authority Technical Department) is that an underground service collapse exists or severe groundwater seepage (GS) is causing this continued sinkage.

‘The latter GS appears to be the cause of several other areas of this road breaking up, not helped by heavy vehicles using this route.

‘I would strongly suggest that an early dig down is carried out at the sinkage, and its cause repaired, before someone is hurt.

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‘The other areas, apparent to an inspector, require, inspection, recording (as I have) and early prioritisation. This might just save a road closure, bus rerouting and major full width reconstruction costs.’

I went on to say that just treating it as a pothole to be repeatedly filled in would be a waste of money, be a continuing danger and the UK Law of Tort would apply.

Well you’ve guessed it! The ESCC contractor merely in-filled the large depression again and of course, it has sunk again and continues to do so.

It must be obvious to most by now that an underground service has collapsed or is subsiding, requiring some intelligent remedial work.

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It is clear that despite ESCC protestations, there is no engineering inspection and supervision of their contractors.

My correspondence was copied to two committee chairmen and the ESCC Group Leader together with our MP, Mr Merriman. Yes of course – no reply.

So, whilst accepting the significant funding cuts to the ESCC, please stop wasting the little you are given!

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