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Residents 'fear injury' on road full of potholes

Allen Sinclair
BBC News
Lyn Garrard Lyn Garrard looks directly at the camera. Her eyes and nose are covered in yellow and purple bruises after her fall. She has short peroxide blonde hair and wears small silver hoop earrings and a dark blue round neck cotton t shirt. Lyn sits on a burgundy leather padded sofa.Lyn Garrard
Lyn Garrard suffered cuts and bruises to her face after tripping in the road

Elderly neighbours have said they are scared to go out alone after some tripped and fell on a road "pitted with potholes".

The majority of residents living along Hatch Park in Old Basing are pensioners and some said they were "fed up" with the issue.

They said they were frustrated that nobody would claim responsibility for repairs, because it was unclear who owned the short access road, which doubles as the only pathway to reach the public highway.

Land Registry records have confirmed nobody has registered ownership of the access road.

But residents who have bought their own park homes and static caravans pay a ground rent to the site's owner, who also operates a caravan storage business next door.

Four elderly people are standing in the road riddled with potholes. There are two women, both holding walking sticks, with their husbands holding their hands. They are all wearing warm winter coats and one man is pointing at the potholes in the road.
Residents living along the road have raised frustrations as nobody will take responsibility for repairs

Resident Lyn Garrard, who is in her 80s, tripped and fell a year ago, smashing her face on the ground, breaking her glasses and suffering cuts and bruises.

She said: "I thought I was used to walking along that rotten road and I just went down. I'm scared to go out there on my own.

"I couldn't go and catch a bus now and go off into town. I'm fed up - I would like to have my life back."

Friends and neighbours say they have tried for years to find someone to take responsibility for fixing the potholes, which have also caused damage to their cars.

A bird's eye view of a road covered in potholes. To the left are four parked cars next to a grass verge and some hedging. To the right of the road is a metal fence and red brick houses with box hedging and a garden just in view. The potholes take up half of the section of road.
The walkway along Hatch Park in Old Basing doubles as the only pathway to reach the public highway

Ruth Covington, another retired resident, said she also fell and badly twisted her knee.

"We don't know who owns it, but everybody's got to use it," she said.

"If we have a wheelchair, you would never get us out of here, we'd be locked in this park."

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has confirmed the stretch is an unadopted road.

Pothole repairs in the borough are the responsibility of Hampshire County Council, but as an unadopted road, it's not authorised to fill them in this instance.

In a statement the county council said: "We recognise how frustrating this is for the residents involved.

"However, as the county council has no jurisdiction over unregistered land, we do not have access to any additional information that would help with identifying who is responsible.

"We would advise residents to check their legal documents relating to the purchase of their respective properties, as these may contain information or guidance, or to seek independent legal advice on the matter."

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