'Roads in Delhi are better than this' Banbury resident complains of estate road surfaces

The road surface at the junction of Chatsworth Drive and Whimbrel Way, Banbury which residents say needs fully replacing

'Roads in Delhi are better than this' – a Banbury resident has complained of estate road surfaces that pose a danger to the elderly and infirm.

The Cherwell Heights resident, who did not want to be named publicly, lashed out at Oxfordshire highways bosses for failing to resurface a patch of road that so bad that even taxi drivers are reluctant to cross it.

"This area, where Chatsworth Drive meets Whimbrel Way, has been bad for ages. Hole after hole is just temporarily repaired but it is too far gone. The road needs completely resurfacing. One of these mornings some elderly person is going to fall and break their ankle I have no doubt.

"Even cab drivers are reluctant to collect and drop off fares there because of the damage to their wheels. I spoke to a county councillor about this and he said he had received numerous complaints about it. He said he’d call me back about it, but he didn’t.”

The junction of Chatsworth Drive and Whimbrel Way, showing a patchwork of repairs that residents say needs complete resurfacing

A county council spokesman said the resident needed to report the matter on Fix My Street – the online register of highways complaints.

The woman said she has added the complaint to the website which shows scores of complaints on that side of Banbury ranging from numerous potholes to litter, abandoned shopping trolleys and many street lamps out of order.

A spokesman for the highways authority said: “Oxfordshire County Council is grateful to this resident for raising the issue through the Fix My Street app on our website. Once our officers have inspected it, they will look at repairing the defects to make the highway safe until a longer term solution can be arranged.

“The area in question has already been the subject of a wider inspection by OCC and our contractors which showed greater structural repair is required.

The Fix My Street web page for this area of Banbury showing scores of reported problems

"We aim to deliver this as part of a planned programme of works although no exact dates have yet been scheduled. We are also planning resurfacing work in the area using micro asphalt (a surface treatment for protecting and prolonging the existing structural integrity of a carriageway without the need for more costly and disruptive repairs) at a future date.”

Oxfordshire County Council has its own pothole reporting system which can be found here.