Residents of a North London road are calling on the council to urgently address the ‘deteriorating state’ of the pavements, which they claim have become uneven and ‘riddled with cracks and potholes’. There have already been incidents of people falling due to the ‘poor and hazardous’ condition of the pavements, according to the residents, who want it repaired to prevent a serious injury.
A petition, signed by more than 40 residents of Scarle Road in Wembley, has been submitted to Brent Council asking it to prioritise the maintenance of the pavements to protect pedestrians. The signatories feel their current state poses a ‘significant risk’, particularly to the elderly or people with mobility issues. The council says it has been to the road to fix some of the individual defects in the pavement.
The lead petitioner, Shashi Gir, suggests that trying to navigate the uneven surface increases the risk of falls and potentially serious injuries. He claims to have already witnessed several incidents of residents suffering falls due to the issues and fears that, without intervention by the local authority, a serious accident ‘is imminent’.
There are fears the cracked paving slabs will cause a serious accident
(Image: Google Maps)
The petition, which runs until March 31, states: “The pavement on Scarle Road has become increasingly uneven, riddled with cracks, potholes, and broken tiles. These hazards not only mar the appearance of our street but, more critically, endanger the safety of pedestrians. In some cases, pedestrians are forced to step onto the road to avoid these dangers, which introduces further risks to drivers and road users.”
It adds: “Our greatest concern is the threat this poses to our elderly and vulnerable residents, many of whom rely on these pavements daily. Navigating an uneven surface increases their risk of falls and potentially serious injuries. […] Several residents have already suffered injuries due to these defects, highlighting the immediate need for action.”
It wouldn’t be the first time a Brent resident has been left seriously injured due to the state of the footways. In 2023, Robert Medcalfe, 36, was left on crutches after tripping over a cracked pavement on Lancaster Road in Dollis Hill and fracturing his ankle. He warned at the time that the council’s ‘negligence’ could put vulnerable residents at risk.
Repairs of the boroughs 529 miles of pavements are prioritised based on their current state, with those assessed as having over 80 per cent poor pavement quality pushed up the queue. However, Mr Gir believes that this standard ‘overlooks serious safety risks’ when the pavements don’t meet the criteria for repairs.
Residents have complained that the pavements have become uneven and ‘riddled with cracks and potholes’
(Image: Google Maps)
In 2022/23, Brent Council spent £5.5m to maintain the carriageways, highway structures and footways – which included 5.7 miles of footways being reconstructed. The latest £11m Footway Maintenance Programme for 2023-26 assigns repairs using two elements; councillors can choose one road within their ward for repairs, up to the nominal value of £150,000, on top of prioritising repairs based on ‘asset management principles’.
Scores are then given according to each of the factors and the total score gives the relative priority for maintenance of one road against another. The factors include a ‘claims priority’, which is based on the recent history of damages and claims on the footway; a ‘defects priority’, which relates to recent maintenance defects identified; and ‘nomination priority’, which relates to the roads nominated by ward councillors.
Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, Cllr Krupa Sheth, said: “We have been to Scarle Road to meet with residents who have shown us defects on the pavement there. We have acted quickly and fixed a number of pavement holes which met our requirements to be fixed. We have had positive feedback from residents on the improvements. We would like to thank residents who report issues with roads and pavements, it means that we are made aware and can take action where appropriate.”
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