Skip to content

Potholed street is 'like an air force bombing run'

John Devine
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
John Devine/BBC Glen Hindmarsh, 61, has short strawberry blonde hair and has dark rimmed glasses on he is wearing a dark blue fleece top with a dark shirt beneath. Behind him is a road with a black car passing others cars are parked across the road and a business is on the leftJohn Devine/BBC
Glen Hindmarsh works in a car accessory shop on Wesenham Lane and says drivers are constantly coming in for spare parts after hitting potholes

A street through a Fenland town has been compared to "an air force bombing run" because of potholes and its state of disrepair.

Locals using Weasenham Lane in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, say the road is blighted with potholes "as big as dinner plates".

In its annual Local Authority Road Maintenance report, the Asphalt Industry Alliance said £2.1bn was needed in the East of England alone to deal with a 30-year backlog of repairs.

Cambridgeshire County Council has agreed to invest £59m into highway maintenance for 2025/2026 - but added that the county's roads needed £400m to address all the issues.

John Devine/BBC A circular white 30cm (1ft) diameter dinner plate with a light blue boarder line around the edgeJohn Devine/BBC
Some residents have been saying that the potholes on Weasenham Lane are "as big as dinner plates".

Glen Hindmarsh, 61, has lived near Weasenham Lane for 25 years and says he is surprised the potholes have not caused a serious accident.

"Over the past six months the road has looked like a bombing run for the local air force," he said.

He added that despite work to fill in potholes, many "bomb-sized craters" remained on a bend further along the stretch.

John Devine/BBC Helen Arnold, 56, has shoulder length wavy brown hair swept over her forehead behind her is a busy road with some housing visible and cars parked and in motion all the roadway.John Devine/BBC
Helen Arnold commutes via Weasenham Lane and says it is difficult to navigate the potholes when it is dark or raining

Helen Arnold, 56, uses Weasenham Lane when she commutes to work and says it is always difficult to negotiate the potholes as some are in groups across the carriageway.

"It doesn't do my car much good when I hit one," she said.

Ms Arnold has worked in the area for four years and regularly sees potholes and surfaces being repaired.

She said the council appeared to prioritise fitting speed cameras on the A47 from King's Lynn over pothole repairs.

Martin Reynolds, 62, who lives close to a cluster of large potholes, says he finds it difficult to sleep at night because of the noise, and that he fears for the safety of cyclists and motorcyclists.

John Devine/BBC Martin Reynolds, 62, has a bald head with a neat grey beard and moustache, he is wearing a blue fleece top with the collar up around his neck, behind him is a roadway with trees and houses visible and a white moving car on the left.John Devine/BBC
Martin Reynolds lives near a cluster of large potholes on Weasenham Lane and says vehicles have mounted the pavement to avoid them
Asphalt Industry Alliance David Giles has grey and dark short hair and has dark framed glasses and a dark blue suit jacket with an unbuttoned white shirt underneath, neck is open at the top.Asphalt Industry Alliance
David Giles, the chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance says a pot hole being filled is "just a sticking plaster on a much bigger problem", he adds local roadways "need resurfacing completely"

David Giles, chairman of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, said the government claimed it would provide £72m for pavement and pothole repairs, but "it is just not enough".

"In the East, £2.1bn is needed, which is an incredible sum," he said.

"We are asking for £2bn immediately, otherwise we will just be managing the decline of our local roadways," he said.

"Therefore we are calling for a complete change in mindset for short-term funding to longer-term commitments to allow authorities to improve the network."

The county council has been approached for comment.

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Related stories
Related links