Pot hole debris and lack of maintenance causing flooding

Mayor Andy wants the County to agree to a priority schedule of works that addresses the rapid deterioration of the road network across the District of Mansfield.Besides the specific flooding issues in Pleasley, MAAR Rd and Water Lane that need a separate urgent multi-agency and developer meeting, I want to raise our concern about the general lack of routine maintenance on the road network in the Mansfield area that is exacerbating flooding problems across the District. This includes the routine emptying of Highway gullies so they can intercept rainwater into the sewer system instead of it forming extensive areas of ponding.

One specific area that I can use as an example is the junction in and around Nottingham Rd/ Waverley Rd/Stanley Rd (see attached pictures) which is an accident waiting to happen. I have raised concerns about this issue on numerous occasions over the last couple of years, yet no remedial action has been taken. MDC Street Cleaners continuously sweep away the leaves and debris but the gullies aren't operational and as a consequence vast ponding occurs repeatedly. These gully pots require excavation by hand to remove the sludge because it is unlikely that any gully emptying machine could suck up this compacted mud.

The majority of the increase in debris being washed down and blocking the gullies come from the ineffective temporary pair to potholes which are breaking up and filling the highway gullies. This in turn causes more ponding which damages more potholes leading to more debris blocking the gullies.

This is just one example that can be repeated in thousands of locations across Mansfield, so our wider challenge is what is the strategy for preventing this cycle of decline to the roads in Mansfield that appear to be the worst state of repair than anywhere else in the County.

We want to see what the plan is to tackle these problems in Mansfield. To immediately relieve the potential of flooding, we would like to know where you have identified the hotspots for flooding and the plan for emptying these blocked gullies? Where are the locations that you have identified multiple temporary pothole repairs that need proper highway reinstatement repair works?

NCC have already received circa £5.6 million of additional funding and included additional council tax charge over the last couple of years for highway maintenance works. An additional £138m has been allocated from Government over-the next 10 years and we don't want this money wasted and ‘washed down the drain’ with temporary repairs.