Have you inspected the condition of your road/track recently?
Is your road/track safe for you, your visitors, emergency services and your amenity providers to use?
Winter 2017/2018 was particularly wet, cold and harsh and this has caused deterioration of many road surfaces, both in public and private ownership. Now that the worst of the weather has passed please inspect the condition of your road/track on which you live to make sure it is safe and fit for access for all vehicles, particularly large and heavy vehicles.
Potholes/uneven road surface
Please check for uneven and potholed road/track surfaces and make repairs as soon as possible. Potholes can present a serious hazard to the safe delivery of services in general, and in particular for regular visitors such as your waste and recycling collection crews. Crews members may trip or fall, and it is difficult to manoeuvre bins over or around potholes to get to the collection vehicle. As well as trip hazards, uneven road surfaces can cause damage to vehicles, yours as well as other peoples.
Failure to provide a safe and suitable road surface to your property may adversely affect many services in the future, including waste collection services. SO PLEASE ACT NOW!
General guidance
With reference to East Sussex County Council Highways Inspection Guidance Document 2016 to 2023 any hole in the road surface greater than the following measurements is deemed a pothole that requires prompt repair.
Acceptable
Road surface is generally smooth, but may have some shallow potholes or ruts that do not present an health and safety hazard
Unacceptable
Road surface is heavily potholed and uneven. Potholes are deep causing significant risk of damage to vehicles and trip hazards to pedestrians.With regards waste collections, roads of this poor standard may necessitate residents to present containers for collection at the point where the access road meets the public highway.Assisted collections will continue to be collected as normal
Overhanging branches/hedges
To allow safe access for vehicles along your road/track, particularly for larger lorries, please ensure trees, hedges and verges are kept well-pruned, both width and height.
Large vehicles do not have rear view mirrors so if these vehicles need to pull in side wing mirrors to avoid damage then the road may no longer be safe for them to use as they won’t be able to see other hazards,you, pedestrians or other road users.
Please take care when timing your pruning as birds may be nesting. In most areas pruning will need to be carried out throughout spring and summer to keep the access clear and safe. A single cut in spring is seldom sufficient.
Failure to provide a safe and suitable access to your property may adversely affect many services in the future, including waste collection services. SO PLEASE ACT NOW!
To be confident of access to your road/track on a regular basis, it is recommended that there is a minimum unrestricted height of 3metres and an unrestricted width of 3 metres.
Acceptable
Cut back to the edge of the road/track with little or no overhang. Hedge at 90 degrees or more to road surface. To be maintained to this standard through the growing season.As a guide 3 metres clearance is the target measurement for both height and width.
Unacceptable
Trees and hedges overhanging the road and coming into contact with vehicles not giving sufficient height clearance. Verges and undergrowth also overgrown and coming into contact with vehicle. Infrequently maintained and rarely cut back. Overhanging branches and thick hedges have the potential to damage vehicles.Roads to this standard may require residents to present containers for waste collections at the point where the access road meets the public highway.Assisted collections will continue to be collected as normal