A ‘FRUSTRATED’ driver whose tyre was blown out by a pot hole in Cheswick Green has slammed Solihull Council for its slow response.
Les Lillington says he was driving along Creynolds Lane when it was dark and raining on March 14 this year when he hit a pot hole.
He took pictures of the crater and the damage to his tyre and made a claim to Solihull Council – which is responsible for the borough’s roads – asking for £231 to cover the cost of a replacement.
And this is where Les says the ‘farce’ began.
After initially not hearing back from the Council, the Bromsgrove resident said he sent over 25 emails and a personal letter to a Council officer, and left over 16 voicemails – and did not get a single reply.
Solihull Council has a 65-day service standard to provide claimants with decisions on such matters.
Les said: “After more than 150 days from my claim I finally get an e-mail saying Solihull Council are not responsible for the damage and will not be settling my claim.
“I feel frustrated, angry, and totally let down by the system.
“Solihull Council are unprofessional system dodgers who care nothing for the people who have suffered financial loss and time wasted by their negligence and inability to respond to simple requests.”
Solihull Council said Creynolds Lane is inspected every six months and was last inspected on March 7 before the incident date as part of its planned inspection of its Highway Maintenance and Asset Management regime
A spokesperson said: “We are aware of the complaint in question, which was first received on March 17.
“Based on the information provided, and investigation of the facts, we have taken the view in this case that the Council was not in breach of our statutory duties within the Highways Act 1980. We are therefore unable to accept responsibility for the claim.
“Our decision and a full explanation of the reasoning behind it was communicated to the claimant on August 15 along with an apology for the delay.
“We do acknowledge, and have apologised, for the delay in providing our decision which, unfortunately on this occasion, fell short of our 65-day service standard.
“We will, of course, consider the claim again if any new evidence can be provided.”
