The state of the roads has been a big concern for everyone, and not just in Wandsworth – following the two cold snaps earlier this year roads across the country developed faults. One of the chief problems is that we have to wait until the cold weather has gone before repairs can start; there’s no point wasting time and money repairing a hole in January when another freeze is a few weeks away and will undo all the work.

The council is now systematically inspecting and repairing all the roads in the borough and this week is Shaftesbury’s turn. Hopefully in a few more days all the potholes in the ward will have been fixed. Additionally, one road, Theatre Street has been totally resurfaced because the surface was beyond patching.

The cause of the problems are largely beyond the council’s control. Obviously the weather plays the biggest part, but often the problems occur because water has been able to penetrate and freeze at the joins where utility companies have been digging up the road. Certainly in the case of Theatre Street I seem to regularly report water leaks, and cannot help but speculate that leaky pipes under the surface have played their part in the break up of the road.

If you know of a pothole you can report it directly via the council’s street faults reporting page.