Tiny clown protest over pot hole on main road near pub
A pot hole on a busy road near a popular pub has clearly infuriated someone who produced their own imaginative 'tableaux' to draw attention to the road defect. They then took a photo of their protest which included a tiny model of a clown and a shovel and pinned it to a nearby tree.
The scene was created in Leckhampton Road in Cheltenham[1], near the junction with Fairfield Road, further up the road from the Norwood Arms pub. There was also some to-the-point words attached to it.
Pot holes have been a ongoing bane for motorists[2] but an ongoing schedule of work is making progress with some of the worst spots being fixed. But someone is not happy with what they describe as a long-standing defect on the busy road.
The picture of the protest pinned to a tree in Leckhampton Road (best image quality available)
The note on the picture of the protest, which also included a tape-measure, a roadworks sign, a bicycle and a hi-vis jacket, says: "Glos C Clown pothole inspector investigating 2 month old hole in Leckhampton Road, Cheltenham, 31 May 2023. Observed by 86-year-old cyclist who travels the area daily. John K."
The picture of the protest pinned to the tree has since been removed. But the pot hole was still there on Thursday morning (June 8).
One of the worst roads for potholes was the A40 Lansdown Road near TGI Fridays but that has been resurfaced. The county council's record on potholes and road defects was strongly defended last month[4] by highways cabinet member Dom Morris.
David Pritchett, local highways manager for Gloucestershire County Council, said: “There are many ways to safely report a pothole to us, so it’s a shame that this resident felt the need to take this action. Road safety is a priority for us and we have over 30 teams out on the network every working day, improving the condition of our roads and filling in thousands of potholes every month.
“Potholes can develop quickly on roads so it is not possible for councils to inspect every road or repair every pothole immediately. We are committed to carrying out repairs as soon as possible that are reported by members of the public or found in routine safety inspections. We would urge residents to report any potholes they are concerned about by using our ‘Report It’ service at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/report-it[5]."
References
- ^ Cheltenham (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ ongoing bane for motorists (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office delivers six day 25C mini heatwave verdict for Gloucestershire and gives timings of thunderstorm (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ strongly defended last month (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/report-it (www.gloucestershire.gov.uk)