Potholes aren’t just annoying – they damage cars and can be deadly for cyclists. And they are proliferating, as cash-strapped councils spend less on road repairs.
Could the solution be new road designs that stop potholes from developing in the first place? There are several high-tech approaches in the works, from self-healing asphalt to roads with inbuilt heating systems that stop ice damage.
And yes, if anyone doubted it, potholes really are getting worse. The number of these road hazards reported to local councils in 2023 was at a five-year high, according to a survey by environmental campaign group Round Our Way in January.
The RAC has also said the number of callouts from motorists due to pothole-related breakdowns was a third higher in 2023 than in the previous year.
Advertisement
Perhaps it’s unsurprising considering the falling spending on roads by local authorities, which are responsible for all roads except for A roads and motorways. The amount spent on UK local road repairs halved from £4bn to £2bn between 2006 and 2019, according to an analysis last year by the Local Government Association (LGA).
“Limited resources and a £16.3bn repair backlog means councils continue to prioritise road repairs according to local circumstances,” said Councillor Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the LGA.
Brace yourself, however, as the pothole plague is likely to intensify over the next few months. Rain and wintery weather are big contributors to the road hazards.
Potholes begin as tiny cracks in the asphalt, on the road surface, that let in water. Freezing conditions turn the water to ice, which expands and makes the cracks worse, especially once ice begins to form underneath the road, creating holes under the asphalt after it melts.
Advertisement
A repeated cycle of freezing and thawing, together with heavy wear from traffic over the crumbling asphalt, means that once they start, potholes tend to get bigger and bigger.
One approach is to try to stop the hole from developing in the first place. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh recently urged local authorities to copy Blackpool Council’s pothole prevention scheme.
Blackpool’s strategy includes driving vans around the road network and using cameras to scan the asphalt surface, so emerging potholes can be repaired before they have a chance to grow – even when they are just cracks. “If you intervene early, you can prolong the road’s lifespan,” said Ian Large, the council’s head of highways and traffic management.
Self-healing roads
But there are more innovative approaches in the works. Several teams of engineers have been developing additives for asphalt that could make it more resistant to cracks.
Advertisement
Asphalt is made of gravel or crushed stone mixed in with bitumen, an oily substance that liquefies at higher temperatures, which is why roads can become slightly soft on hot summer days.
If the air temperature gets above 40C, any tiny cracks in asphalt tend to naturally seal up themselves, according to Dr Jose Norambuena-Contreras, an engineer at Swansea University. “The bitumen can flow,” he said.
Temperatures almost never get that high in the UK, so Dr Norambuena-Contreras and others have investigated adding micro-capsules of oil to bitumen during the asphalt manufacturing. The idea is that any cracks would break these capsules, releasing the oil, which would make the cracks seal up.
Cracks should be more likely to form where the capsules are, because that is where the material is the weakest, said transport engineer Professor Nick Thom at the University of Nottingham. “If a crack appears, it’ll go for where it’s weak.”
Advertisement
The first tests of a road surface embedded with such capsules was promising, showing less stone loss after two years, suggesting it is more hard-wearing. Now we need to wait for results from a real-life trial, where the new material has been used on a section of the M26 in Kent, along with a control section.
“If there are real differences they should appear five to 10 years after construction,” said Prof Thom. The trial began in 2022.
Warmer roads
A more high-tech approach involves trying to stop the freeze-thaw cycle that drives pothole formation, by using pipes of water to transfer heat from the warmer soil beneath the road up to the asphalt at the surface.
This would require two horizontal layers of pipes, one within the asphalt and one in the soil, up to 5 metres lower, with heat exchange pumps to connect them. The system would also work in reverse in summer to cool the asphalt by taking its heat to lower levels, which would stop asphalt softening and reduce the street’s air temperature, said Dr Benyi Cao, an engineer at the University of Surrey.
This approach is at an earlier research stage and it may be relatively expensive. On the other hand it could be cheaper in the long term as the costs of maintaining and repairing our current roads is £2m per mile over a typical lifetime of 20 years, said Dr Cao.
Advertisement
Porous roads
Road builders in the Netherlands are able to block the freeze-thaw cycle a different way. They have started making some roads with materials that are fully permeable, so rainwater neither sits on top, nor pools underneath the asphalt.
But this is being done mainly to combat flooding, rather than cut repair costs, said Professor Floris Boogaard, a climate adaptation researcher at Deltares, a research institute in Delft. The water has to drain into pipes underneath the road and over time these need regular maintenance to avoid getting clogged with silt.
It can be easier to repair any potholes that do arise, though, because the Dutch permeable roads are usually laid as bricks, and so these can be easily replaced, he said.
Prof Boogaard believes the UK’s pothole problem is chiefly caused, not by our different road designs, but lack of repairs. “Maintenance is key,” he said. “It’s mostly about your budget.”
Advertisement
What causes potholes?
Road surfaces are always going to give way eventually, due to the heavy wear they get from traffic. But another big contributor to potholes is winter weather, namely rain and freezing conditions.
Potholes begin as tiny cracks in the asphalt that makes up the road surface. This lets water get in, which can freeze when temperatures drop. Ice takes up a larger volume than water, so as the water freezes it expands within the cracks, making them bigger.
The next stage is when the cracks get so big that water can reach the soil underneath the road surface and pool there. When this water freezes and expands, it can push up the asphalt. Then, when it gets warmer, the ice melts and evaporates, leaving a hole under the surface.
When cars drive over these areas, the asphalt then collapses, causing a pothole. In a typical British winter this can happen repeatedly, sometimes with the water freezing every night and thawing every day, said Dr Benyi Cao, an engineer at the University of Surrey.
“One day can form a freeze-thaw cycle,” he said. “The heavy rain and the freeze-thaw cycle are definitely two big contributors.”
MOROCCO has become more popular as a holiday destination in recent years, especially as a winter sun destination.
But those looking to beat the crowds and for an even cheaper alternative to Marrakesh, might want to consider visiting Taroudant.
5
Taroudant is much smaller in size than Marrakech, and also considered calmer and less crowdedCredit: Alamy
5
Advertisement
Domaine Villa Talaa is a 4* hotel with an outdoor pool, spa and wellness centre, gardens with mountain views, and good room ratesCredit: Alamy
The city, which is sometimes called ‘Little Marrakesh’, is known for its impressive red-mud walls and views of the High Atlas Mountains.
As its nickname suggests, it’s much smaller in size than Marrakesh, and also considered calmer and less crowded.
Many visitors say it offers one of the most authentic experiences of every day Moroccan life.
Taroudant and Marrakesh bear many similarities – both cities have rich cultures that are influenced by Berber tradition and Islamic civilisations, and they have medinas (old towns) and souks (open air marketplaces).
Advertisement
Read more on cheap holidays
But Taroudant also has its own unique features, including its walls, landmarks and location.
For a short time in the 16th century, Taroudant was the capital of Morocco. Its location between two mountain ranges was why it was chosen.
To defend it, a huge wall was built around the city, which today are among the best preserved in Morocco.
Made of honeyed stone, the walls are seven kilometres long and encircle the entire medina.
Advertisement
Marrakech best budget friendly autumn getaway
The best time to visit the walls is at sunset to see the low light make the stone glow.
And the best way to see the walls is to walk, bike or take a horse-drawn carriage, known as a calèche.
Taroudant’s landmarks include Palais Caludio Bravo, famous for being the former home of Chilean painter Claudio Bravo.
The palace houses a large collection of his works, as well as other artists, including Francis Bacon and Pablo Picasso.
Advertisement
Its architecture is noteworthy as it’s made up of several wings and structures connected by courtyards and covered passages.
The palace’s beautiful garden is a mini-replica of the famous Menara garden in Marrakesh, with trails, sculptures and exotic plants dotted around.
5
Taroudant is known for its well-preserved wall that surround its medinaCredit: Alamy
5
Advertisement
Palais Claudio Bravo is famous for being the former home of Chilean painter Claudio BravoCredit: Alamy
Taroudant has a good location because it’s close to many other attractions, making it a good base for exploring the surrounding area.
Marrakesh is about a three and a half our drive away, and Skoura, an oasis town on the way to the desert, is about a five hour journey east.
The coastal resort of Agadir, with an international airport, is about an hour’s drive west, and Essaouira, with a pretty beach and coastal medina, is about a four hour journey northwest.
Tarroudant is also located at the foot of the Atlas mountains, making it a good base for hiking
Advertisement
When it comes to places to stay, there are lots of luxurious 4* hotels for cheap prices.
Domaine Villa Talaa is a 4* hotel with an outdoor pool, spa and wellness centre, gardens with mountain views, and lots of activities, such as ping-pong, walking tours, bike tours and cooking classes.
Other alternatives to Marrakesh in Morocco
Casablanca – a modern city with a youthful vibe, sea breezes, and few tourists than Marrakesh. It’s a mix of modern dynamism and scenic beaches.
Advertisement
Meknes – a medieval city with a stunning Medina, historic architecture, mosques, royal palaces, and hammams.
Ouarzazate – a gateway to the fortified village and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Ben haddou, and is nicknamed the ‘door of the desert’.
Fes – a place to explore ancient history.
Rif – a place to hike the cedar forests.
Advertisement
Rabat – a place to discover Morroccan art.
Oualidia – a place to enjoy lazy days by the sea.
Taghazout – a place for surfing and sun salutations.
Prices for two adults for one night start from £75.
Advertisement
Dar Zitoune is another 4* hotel built in the Berber style using local materials.
It’s set in four acres of landscaped grounds with olive, papaya, and citrus trees, has a large heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi, a spa, and a gourmet restaurant that serves a mix of Moroccan and Western specialities.
Prices for two adults for one night start from £99.
Flights from London Gatwick to Agadir, the nearest airport, are also good value.
Advertisement
At the beginning of November, a one way flight with easyJet starts from £22.99.
A runner who took on a prestigious global race series has broken the world record for the fastest marathon by an athlete with hemiplegia.
Andrew Tomlinson, who has paralysis on his left side, finished the London Marathon in April in a time of 3:58:53 – almost two hours faster than the previous best.
On the same day the financial assistant, from Glasgow, collected his Six Star Finisher medal for completing the World Marathon Majors.
Mr Tomlinson, who has hypertonic cerebral palsy, embarked on the epic challenge in 2021 when he ran the Berlin Marathon.
Advertisement
The Bellahouston Road Runner completed the New York City Marathon the following year before ticking off Boston and Chicago in 2023.
And after finishing Tokyo in March he earned his sixth star in London and joined a club of only 17,026 runners worldwide.
After a traumatic birth doctors feared Mr Tomlinson would never walk but he is now thought to be first runner with cerebral palsy to earn the coveted medal.
He told BBC Scotland News: “It’s actually just emotional thinking about it because every challenge I’ve had, every barrier that’s been put up, it proves that anything is possible.”
Advertisement
Filmed by Alan Ritchie and Paul O’Hare and edited by Georgina Davies.
First, a confession. I have never watched Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Nor the Real Housewives series, nor any of the reality juggernauts that have dominated television schedules for the past decade. When Kim Kardashian first became a major presence in fashion, I was one of those alien people who remained totally ignorant of her cultural value. I would watch bemusedly as she wiggled into front-row seats at Tom Ford and Givenchy while editors would variously venerate her presence or tut loudly and clutch their pearls.
Skims offers the kind of lingerie you should be able to pick up anywhere
This year marks the fifth birthday of her “solutionswear” line, Skims, the company she founded with Jens and Emma Grede in 2019 to rebrand support hosiery, girdles and other deeply unsexy undergarments as something desirable and new. And, boy, has she succeeded. As Maria Shollenbarger writes in this week’s issue: “Skims has since proliferated into a full-blown apparel company, with a market valuation of $4bn and pole position in the global pop-culture discourse.”
Advertisement
Maria met Kardashian at the Skims headquarters in Los Angeles last month. Chief among her observations was Kardashian’s laser focus, her determination and her personal investment. “I handle all the visuals, all the ideas, fabrics, fits,” she tells Maria. “I’m the face of this brand.”
What’s so brilliant about Skims is that it offers the kind of lingerie you think you should be able to pick up anywhere, but actually find quite scarce. Kardashian couldn’t find shapewear that matched her skin tone. So she came up with a solution. And is now bouncing all the way to the bank.
Kardashian is a living legend, but she is not the only one in this issue. Bob Crowley, the theatre designer, director and costume designer, has worked on so many productions that his artistic signature is scrawled in almost every theatre on Broadway – and off it – and the West End. His little brother John is no slouch either: the director’s latest film, We Live in Time, will come out later this year. (Side note: his first movie, Intermission, starring a delightfully callow Cillian Murphy and Colin Farrell, remains one of my favourites.) As the brothers mark new career milestones, they reflect on their relationship, their shared love of drama and the things that have inspired their work. John has been too in awe of his older brother to work with him much in the past, but I hope he overcomes that notion soon.
Lastly, how hot do you like your food? Do you love your plate to sizzle? Do you keep a plaque chauffante to hand? Ajesh Patalay investigates the politics of heat this week, and whether an optimum meal temperature exists. Turns out I may be a hypo-taster, as I rather like my food lukewarm.
It said: “Where you feel that a hedge is too tall and affects the ‘reasonable’ enjoyment of your house or garden, the first step is to negotiate with your neighbours.
“Keep a copy of any letters to demonstrate you have tried.”
If this fails, you can contact your local council to enquire about using the high hedges legislation.
Advertisement
You can find your local council using the Gov.uk website.
There is no guarantee your council will intervene, and there is a fee for making a complaint, typically £400, to deter frivolous applications.
Your local authority will consider both sides’ cases and make a decision.
If the council accepts your complaint, it will issue a notice for the hedge to be cut to a requested height by a set deadline.
Advertisement
Councils have the power to fine homeowners up to £1,000 if they refuse to comply with orders to cut hedges back.
But the neighbour is also able to appeal the decision.
Even if the hedge is within the legal height, your neighbour is responsible for maintaining it so it doesn’t damage your property.
You are also able to trim back any overgrown parts of the hedge that are covering your own boundary, according to Citizens Advice.
Advertisement
But don’t be tempted to trim the whole hedge down – if you are cutting it back you should also check if it’s protected by a tree preservation order.
There is also the option of getting legal advice and taking your neighbour to court if the issue can’t be resolved, but this can be pricey.
Mr Welsh had previously told the government: “From 6am the hedge casts a shadow and this continues for the rest of the day.
“I cannot enjoy my veranda as it’s always in shade and I would just like to sit out and have a coffee in the sunshine.
Advertisement
“Due to the shade from the high hedge, the entire side of my house is always in shade and cold and this costs me more money to heat my home.
“I have been driving electric cars for more than seven years and was hoping to have solar panels fitted to my roof to charge my car and also help reduce my energy bill.
“Again due the the hedge height, I cannot fit solar panels as they would be in the shade.”
In a letter to the government, the Faheems said the trees not only afford them privacy in their home, but were are home to a host of wildlife “which if reduced to three metres (10ft) will leave bare tree stumps without foliage”.
Advertisement
They added: “There are six trees with trunks of approx three metres in height.
“If reduced to the three metre height as specified in the high hedge notice issued all that will be left will be stumps with no foliage.
“The reason provided for the high hedge notice is that it has an overbearing and dominant impact on the property.
“This is disputed on the ground that the trees do not form a barrier to light to the occupants and do not cause any obstruction to their views or to the enjoyment of their property.”
Advertisement
Issuing their high hedge notice, the council said the hedge was considered to have an “overbearing and dominant” impact on the property and garden grounds.
But, amending the council decision, government reporter Alison Kirkwood said: “Based on my assessment of impact on the reasonable enjoyment of the veranda, I do not consider the requirement to reduce the height of the trees to three metres would be justified.
“Instead, I consider that a maximum height of four metres (13ft) from ground level would be appropriate to address the adverse impact on the veranda, whilst also taking account of the privacy concerns raised by the appellant.
“I am also satisfied that, subject to the required tree works taking place outwith nesting season, there would be no harm to birds or biodiversity.”
Advertisement
4
Welsh went to Glasgow City Council under high hedge lawsCredit: John Kirkby
Nadia Ayoub McCulloch has been seperated from her family when trying to leave Lebanon
A Scottish family evacuated from Lebanon have spoke of their anger after their non-British mother was blocked from boarding the flight with two of her children.
Nadia Ayoub McCulloch, 51, and her children Thomas, 19, and Rebecca, 16, attempted to fly out from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport to Birmingham due to the ongoing conflict with Israel which has seen the city bombed.
However, Ms McCulloch was turned away by officials as she does not have a UK passport or visa, meaning only her children were allowed to leave.
Her Scottish husband of 20 years, William McCulloch, 62, now intends to travel back to Lebanon from Iraq in the hope he can reunite with his wife and leave the country together.
Advertisement
He said: “I just don’t understand it. We paid for the three seats, she went to the airport, and she was told that she can’t get on the flight because she didn’t have a visa.
“Rebecca organised everything and she may have been told before she left the house (that Ms McCulloch would be unable to board the flight), but she thought she would just go and try because she wanted to go with the kids, but she was told categorically, no.”
As of last month, there were thought to be between 4,000 and 6,000 UK nationals including dependants, in Lebanon.
More than 250 UK citizens have already left on chartered flights. As of Friday morning, more than 2,000 British nationals had registered their presence in the country, the Foreign Office said.
William McCulloch intends to travel back to Lebanon to help his wife leave
Mr McCulloch, who has lived in Lebanon since 2002, said the couple were evacuated with Thomas during the 2006 Lebanon war and had “no problem whatsoever” on that occasion.
Mr McCulloch works with humanitarian organisation Norwegian People’s Aid and is currently working to clear unexploded ordnance in Iraq.
He added: “I have no problems going back into Beirut – if something happens, something happens, but 100% I’m going back to my wife.”
Evacuation charge a ‘low blow’
His son David Hardie, 36, who lives in Carluke, said it was a “a lot of weight” off his shoulders to have his siblings back in Scotland.
He said: “Even when they announced the flight, there was nothing about a ceasefire or how they were going to get to the airport or anything… that was scary for them, because you don’t know when the next bomb is going to hit”.
Advertisement
Mr Hardie said he was “angry” over the visa situation.
He added: “They’ve been married for over 20 years – it’s not like they’ve been married for two or three years, they’ve been married 20 years, and she can’t even get evacuated from a war.”
William McCulloch/PA
Nadia Ayoub McCullough and Thomas, then a young child, left Lebanon during the 2006 conflict
Mr Hardie also criticised the cost of the UK government flights out of Lebanon, which were £350 per person.
He said the cost was a “low blow”.
Advertisement
Mr Hardie added: “We’re not poor or anything but I still feel like, if you’ve been evacuated from a war-torn country, there should have been more help.
“I think that was a surprise. Like, you get a text message, you click a link, you go in, you sign your name, your passport number, and then at the end, it asks you for £350.
“There might have been families over there who couldn’t afford that.”
The last week has seen a significant escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, with warning that it could develop into a all-out regional war.
Advertisement
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been assassinated, Israel has launched a ground invasion of Lebanon, and Iran has fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at targets across Israel.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login