Closed
Unsafe Highway Verge Collapse & Chronic Drainage Failure – Immediate Action Required HP8 4DD
Sent to Buckinghamshire Council less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 8949407.
The verge and informal parking areas throughout the cul-de-sac at Narcot Road (HP8 4DD), particularly outside No. 17 and surrounding properties, have completely failed.
This issue has been ongoing for several years and has progressively worsened. Despite the condition clearly deteriorating over time, no meaningful remedial works have been undertaken.
The surface has significantly broken down due to lack of proper drainage and continued vehicle use. There are extensive areas of deep rutting, ground subsidence and large areas of persistent standing water. After rainfall, the area becomes a mud basin with no effective runoff.
This location is used daily by residents and visitors for parking. It is now in a hazardous condition and presents:
• A clear slip and trip risk for pedestrians, including children and elderly residents • Vehicles losing traction and becoming stuck in mud • Mud and debris being dragged onto the public highway • Ongoing erosion and worsening of the ground condition • Reduced safe access to vehicles and properties
This is no longer a minor surface defect. The verge has structurally failed and continues to deteriorate. Temporary patching will not resolve the underlying drainage issue.
Given that this problem has existed for years and continues to worsen, it now requires proper inspection, reinstatement of the surface and installation of adequate drainage to provide a long-term solution.
This matter affects multiple households within the cul-de-sac and requires urgent assessment.
Updates
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The report has been passed to the Highway Officer, who will carry out an inspection of the issue within 10 working days, emergency defects will be corrected or made safe at the time of the inspection, if reasonably practicable to do so. In this context, making safe may constitute displaying warning notices, coning‐off or fencing‐off to protect the public from the defect or other suitable action. If the inspection team cannot make safe the defect at the time of inspection, then they will instigate the relevant emergency call procedures to ensure appropriate resources are mobilised to make the defect safe.
There may also be occasions when the issue reported will not be repaired as it has been classified as a minor defect and does not pose any risk to either the safety or the integrity of the highway, these are called minimum recording levels as specified in our Highways Safety Inspection Policy.
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Update
With more and more households owning multiple vehicles, parking has become an issue in some areas, drivers who park on a footpath can in some cases, force users of wheelchairs and pushchairs to use the road which is both dangerous and thoughtless.
If there are road lines/marking on the adjacent road, or there is a bylaw for the area (should be on a signpost at the site) we can, subject to available resources, send a civil enforcement officer (traffic warden) to go and assess, and if a vehicle is parked in contravention of a parking restriction, a penalty charge notice may be issued. However, if there are no road markings on the adjacent road we as a council are unable to take any action, in these cases we would suggest you contact Thames Valley Police as they are responsible for the enforcement of traffic laws, which includes speeding, dangerous driving and dangerous parking please contact them on their non-emergency number 101.
This report is now closed to updates from the public. You can make a new report in the same location.