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Demand for massive pothole to be fixed - council says it's not responsible for it

A Sandwell councillor claimed his car was nearly damaged after driving over a huge pothole in Wednesbury.

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A giant pothole on Manor House Road in Wednesbury. Sandwell councillor David Wilkes is concerned for drivers using the route, claiming the road has been left

Councillor David Wilkes said he was on his way to a pharmacy when the undertray of his vehicle got caught on a huge pit in Manor House Road.

The bumpy street has been left un-repaired for months, claimed Councillor Wilkes, who is concerned for other drivers using the route. A Google Street image from April 2022 showed early signs of the road beginning to crack.

Mr Wilkes said he reported the issue to Sandwell Council several weeks ago. But the authority said it’s a private service road rather than one it owns.

However a spokesperson added it would send “someone out to take a look” and erect barriers until the pothole is fixed by its owner. It’s unclear whose responsibility it is to repair the street where several shops are based.

Mr Wilkes said: “I was driving to the pharmacy and it caught the under tray on my car. I reported this giant pothole weeks ago.

“It’s incredibly dangerous for drivers and has been like that for months; it’s getting bigger.

"It’s very deep and nearly damaged my car.”

A Sandwell Council spokesperson said: “We have checked and this is a private service road which is not owned by us, so it would be the responsibility of the owner to repair.

"Responsibility lies with the individual shop owners in this instance.

“However, we’re sending someone out to take a look and put in place any reactive safety measures such as barriers until it is repaired by the owner.”