‘Pothole Land’: Fed-up residents in Wales turn potholes into a tongue-in-cheek attraction

Frustrated residents of some villages in north-east Wales have put the potholes on roads leading to their homes into the media spotlight, complete with signs and banners advertising “Pothole Land”.

Locals in the Ceiriog Valley in Wrexham County had been complaining for at least five years to the local council about the condition of their roads, but this had fallen on deaf ears.

In a tongue-in-cheek response, they put up banners with the words “Pothole Land” across the roads and a sign which says “deepest, longest, widest potholes in Wales”.

“Two kilometres of award-winning potholes with very little actual road to spoil your fun,” the sign declares.

As a result, the Wrexham council began work to fix the potholes last week. However, residents say there is still more to be done, the English media reported.

Resident Russell Kirk told the BBC that the creation of Pothole Land is the community’s “elegant” way of highlighting their predicament.

“People won’t come up here anymore,” said Mr Kirk, describing the difficulties faced by residents. “We are cut off from life, forgotten about.”

He said some roads have potholes as deep as 46cm. “A Mini (car) could go down them,” British opinion news channel GB News quoted Mr Kirk as saying.

Farmer Donald Roberts, 76, told Sky News that many of the potholes were “impassable”.

“It has come to this signage down the road to get some result,” he said, adding that the conditions of the roads meant it takes him longer to finish his work.

Councillor Trevor Bates said the British government has announced funds to fix potholes across the country, but he was unsure when the money would trickle down to the area.

“The major A and B-roads are usually the first to get new funding. It leads to these smaller and more dangerous roads being ignored, and people have to get creative to get attention. I’m not confident that this will mean the valley’s potholes actually get filled in, but we live in hope,” he told the Daily Express tabloid.

The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) said in 2024 that roads in England and Wales were at “breaking point” due to potholes.

Pothole repairs cost the UK £579 million (S$964.6 million) in 2024 and many councils struggle to keep on top of repairs due to budget cuts.

Depending on their size, potholes can cause significant damage to vehicles and pose a danger to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, according to a March 2024 BBC report.

Although small potholes rarely cause major accidents, hitting multiple ones over time can lead to damage to the tyres, suspension and steering system.