High street crater is so DEEP locals joke Vicar of Dibley could fall into it
Residents of a pretty market town believe their High Street has the worst potholes in Britain – with a crater so deep they’ve named it after Dibley’s Reverend, a nod to the famous skit where Dawn French is up to her neck fell into the hole.
After pipes burst last winter due to freezing weather, the Wiltshire town of Malmesbury was full of dozens of dangerous potholes.
The deepest in England’s oldest borough – which has appeared next to a pedestrian crossing – is damaging cars and has raised fears it will injure a pedestrian as bits of asphalt fly around.
Clare Cliverd, 63, said: ‘We called it the Vicar of Dibley pit because it resembles the one Dawn French famously fell into.
‘It’s getting deeper and bigger by the day and it’s always full of water.
Marianne Hofstra, 58, landlady of the Kings Arms Hotel in High Street said it was ‘shameful’ that the town had acquired such a reputation
One pit is so deep the town named it after Dibley’s Reverend because of the famous sketch when Dawn French falls into it up to her neck
They say the hole is getting deeper and is now full of water
‘Something has to happen.’
Even the town’s deputy mayor says Malmesbury could win the UK championship for the main street with the most potholes.
The quiet market town is known for its links to King Alfred the Great, the 1,500-year-old abbey and home to England’s oldest hotel.
The historic high street has cafes, a traditional bakery and gift shops – all bustling with holidaymakers in the summer months.
But local businesses fear tourists could stay away unless Wiltshire council starts to fill in the gaps.
They even protested by using the pits for a game of miniature golf, with a local character even suggesting putting goldfish in them to create dozens of mini-ponds.
The Asphalt Industry Alliance revealed that the cost of the UK’s pit backlog reached £14bn last year – an increase of nearly £1.5m on the previous year.
And campaigner Mark Morrell – known as Mr Pothole – said the crisis is ‘a shame for our country’.
After pipes burst last winter due to freezing weather, the Wiltshire town of Malmesbury was full of dozens of dangerous potholes
The deepest pothole in England’s oldest borough – which has appeared next to a pedestrian crossing – is damaging cars and has led to fears it will injure a pedestrian as bits of asphalt fly around
Even the city’s deputy mayor says Malmesbury can win the UK championship for most potholed high street
More than a fifth of roads in London, the Midlands and the North East are classified as in ‘poor’ structural condition and it is estimated that local authorities would take 11 years to repair them.
Ruth Rakes, 63, whose ancestors have lived in the town for centuries, said: ‘It has to be Britain’s worst main street for potholes.
‘A friend of mine tripped over it crossing the road – if a car was coming she could have died.
‘It’s terrible. Cars hit the potholes, sending bits of asphalt flying through the air.
“I’ve been hit by one and I know a few shop windows have been hit by flying stones.
‘I sweep them up on the side of the road – I have three bags full at home that I’d like to leave on the doorstep of Wiltshire County Council.’
Miss Rakes said businesses struggling to get over Covid are now facing a drop in tourism due to the state of the once busy high street.
She works with local IT student Ben Thornbury, 17, who posted a joke saying ‘High Street Crazy Golf Course Now Open’ at the entrance to the street.
Local IT student Ben Thornbury, 17, (pictured) protested by using the pits for a game of crazy golf, while a local character even suggested putting goldfish in them to create dozens of mini-ponds
Local businesses now fear tourists could stay away unless Wiltshire council starts to fill in the gaps
Ruth Rakes, 63, whose ancestors have lived in the town for centuries, has been collecting bags of crushed stone from the road – she says she would do well to drop them off at the town’s doorstep
Ben said: ‘Everyone is fed up – we are reporting the problem but nothing is being done about it.
“People’s cars are damaged, tires burst when they hit the deep holes, it’s getting dangerous.”
Marianne Hofstra, 58, landlady of the Kings Arms Hotel in High Street said: ‘It is a shame that a town as reputable as Malmesbury has this problem.
“We’re all waiting to see what happens to our pits.”
Local residents say a burst water pipe under the road is causing the problem and the council won’t plug the holes until it’s fixed.
Landlord of the Kings Arms Simon Haggarty, 59, said: ‘Until they fix it, they need to put steel plates over the damaged parts of the road.
“Our delivery guys are hesitant to come here because their vans go into the potholes – you can’t avoid them.”
More than 600 soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps, stationed at nearby Buckley Barracks, will march down the high street on May 20.
Local residents say a burst water pipe under the road is causing the problem and until the problem is fixed the council will not plug the holes
More than 600 soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps, stationed at nearby Buckley Barracks, will march down the high street on May 20 and it is feared the squads could trip as they maneuver through the obstacle course of potholes and cracked tarmac
And the delivery men from Marianne’s pub are reluctant to come to town because of the pothole infestation
But there are fears that the squaddies could trip as they maneuver through the obstacle course of potholes and cracked asphalt.
Mum-of-two Jade Hext, 27, said: ‘It’s been like this for months – Malmesbury is a beautiful town but the potholes are ruining it.’
Liz Cook, who lives on one of the town’s quaint side streets, said: ‘It’s not good advertising for the town.
“We’re England’s oldest council – we’ve made a lot of noise about it, hopefully something will be done about it.”
Deputy Mayor Gavin Grant, 67, said: ‘We’re probably the British champions when it comes to pits, but it’s not a trophy we want.
‘I have read the Riot Act to Wiltshire Council about it and have been assured they will begin repairs very soon.’
The council said it had been awarded £3.6 million from the Department for Transport to address the pothole problem and work is being planned.
An additional £200 million was spent on pothole repairs in the final budget.
It is hoped this will help fill up to four million holes in rural, residential and smaller C and B roads.
Between 2017 and 2021, councils in England and Wales paid more than £32 million in damages for injuries caused by the dangerous holes.
Between 2017 and 2021, approximately 5,596 personal injury claims were settled by local authorities in England and Wales.
Lancashire paid more than any other town hall, generating a huge bill worth more than £11 million.
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