Recently resurfaced roads in Harrow are said to be “already crumbling apart”, with one resident claiming they nearly came off their motorbike at a particularly dangerous junction.
In 2024, Harrow Council announced plans to roll out a ‘pothole squad’ as part of a programme to fix road defects across the borough, which included the use of a new £165,000 machine. The local authority claimed the scheme would be “transformational”, with repair work carried out in eight minutes.
However, residents have criticised the work done as “a real slap dash job” – with some claiming that potholes have “resurfaced again” just six months after being repaired. They have described the state of the roads as “dangerous for all motorists” and questioned why they are “crumbling apart so quickly”.
Resident Marcelo Flavio pointed to a number of crater-like potholes on Imperial Drive – at the junction of Village Way East in Rayners Lane – as “clearly dangerous”. He also suggested there has been “very little thought” with regards to rain water drainage, with the holes collecting water and “becoming an ice-rink” when it freezes.
Mr Flavio told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The [potholes] on imperial drive are clearly dangerous and felt like I was going to come off my motorbike. Harrow council needs to get things done right. […] The quality and standards of works falls below what I would expect from a local authority. Recent pot holes which have been fixed are opening up again.
“I’m sure this road was recently resurfaced, why are they crumbling apart so quickly? […] This area is a significant and serious road safety hazard that needs to be tackled very urgently. There are several pot holes in one location [and it is] dangerous to all motorists – particularly cyclists and motorcyclists. It’s a disaster.”
Other residents took to community app Nextdoor to highlight the problem, where the repair work was described as “shoddy” and a “real slap dash job” with obvious holes missed. One wrote: “There is no excuse for this. [It is] very dangerous and could open the council UP to costly legal claims. Someone signed this work off and they must be held accountable.”
JB Riney & Co (part of Tarmac) has been Harrow Council’s primary highways contractor since 2019, delivering a range of services including road maintenance, resurfacing, street lighting and winter gritting. It is not clear which contractor carried out the specific works at the junction highlighted by residents.
Part of the plan to tackle the issues in the borough involved the use of a new machine – the £165,000 ‘pothole pro’ – which claims to fix the holes in eight minutes. Using thermal infra-red technology, the result is said to be a “permanent repair” that recycles the existing surface material and creates minimal waste.
When it was first rolled out, the council suggested this new approach would ensure the fixes are “long lasting, more sustainable, and reduce net emissions”.
However, Mr Flavio suggested the use of the new machine “has not been a success” due to “repeat works at the same locations” having to be carried out – sometimes just six months after they were last done.
Harrow Council told the LDRS that it is carrying out a three-year, £42m highways programme to repair potholes and resurface roads and pavements. It claims there has been a 75 per cent reduction in the number of potholes reported since 2024.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “An inspection of the junction at Imperial Drive and Village Way East has recently been undertaken and repairs have been completed.
“We’re restoring pride back into our roads by carrying out significant work through our road resurfacing programme – bringing you better, safer and long-lasting roads and pavements.
“Since January 2024, we have filled more than 10,000 potholes and resurfaced 178 roads and pavements. We’re continuing to invest in cutting-edge technology that speeds up repairs, recycling old materials and reducing waste.”
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
