‘Welcome to Pot Hole City’: Signs mocking 'Grand Canyon' potholes take over Daventry

More hand-painted boards have appeared beside roads in Daventry over the last few days, guiding drivers to "Pot Hole City" and "Pot Holy Island."

Signs criticising West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) over the state of the roads in Northamptonshire took over Daventry and the surrounding areas, generating plenty of discussion and debate online.

The mystery campaigner responsible for the series of pothole placards has promised to stop "when the council apologises publicly to the people of Daventry for being incompetent," reported the BBC earlier today.

Councillor Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways, and Waste at WNC, said: “We recognise that some of our roads require further maintenance and repair, which have worsened with the recent spell of severe cold and wet weather.

“We understand the frustration this is causing our residents, and we are working to prioritise and complete works as quickly as possible.”

With online complaints from residents having to pay repair fees ranging from £100 to £800 and more after hitting potholes in the area, many drivers expressed their hopes that the signs could have an impact.

The words "Welcome to Pot Hole City - twinned with Grand Canyon" are displayed on the sign on the Daventry to Long Buckby route. Another sign at a busy roundabout urges drivers to "hold on tight." One sign attached to railings in the centre of a roundabout warns motorists of "hole after hole," while another roundabout sign welcomes drivers to "hometown glory pothole."

Anyone who attaches a sign to any structure on a highway without authorization from the highway authority or a valid justification "is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine," according to the Highways Act 1980.

Cllr Phil Larratt said: “We are making significant steps to improve the condition of our roads by deploying new technology and advancing our fleet, with methods that are proven to drive efficiencies and provide a quality service.”

A motion to keep £1.9 million in the highways budget to fix the state of the roads was rejected by the Conservative-led WNC at the latest council meeting in February.

Although WNC purchased Pothole Pro, a £184,000 road repair machine, late last year, it was recently revealed that the local authority may not be able to afford to run the machine at full power.

“Since the roll-out of the pothole pro, we have identified areas that could maximise the benefits of the new machinery and are in the process of incorporating this into our planning for future works.

“This is not going to be an overnight fix, however, with the Pothole Pro and further new equipment, we will continue to make improvements to our roads,” said Cllr Phil Larratt.

Residents across the town continue to criticise the state of the roads on social media.

Some of the hand-painted boards seen so far can be found at the roundabout by Southbrook, next to the Daventry Leisure Centre, across from the Abbey Centre, and alongside the entrance to Danetre Hospital – Have you spotted any?

If you have seen any signs in your area, please email the pictures to [email protected].