Derby’s worst roads

The state of Derby’s roads “remain safe” according to council officials – that’s despite a new report showing they were falling short on pothole repair targets.

The report showed road damage repaired within 28 days by Derby City Council was at 32 per cent – significantly below a monthly target of 80 per cent.

Following the report, it was then revealed a Porsche driver was awarded more than £4,400 in compensation for pothole damage at Chequers Road.

But the council states 99 per cent of emergency defects are responded to within the one hour and 36-hour thresholds.

However, some city motorists have questioned the council’s stance and said some of the city’s roads are in need of big improvement.

In an investigation about the state of Derby’s roads, motorists have given their views on what the worst maintained roads are in the city.

One taxi driver told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) some of the potholes in the city are given their own names.

Below is a list of the roads motorists have told us are some of the worst.

Cathedral Road/Chapel Street
Taxi driver Fazal Hussain took the LDRS around Cathedral Road near to the junction with Chapel Street.

At close inspection the LDRS saw deep potholes on the middle of the carriageway and at the junction points.

Mr Hussain said: “This road is quite bad. There was a car that popped a tyre a few days ago. We travel it on a few times every day. It’s been bad for a long time.”

Alfreton Road

Cyclist and motorist Rod Straw has called Alfreton Road between Chester Green and the Sir Frank Whittle Road roundabout one of the most “dangerous in the city”.

Taxi drivers have also pinpointed the road for problems.

Just one look on Google Streetview near the Toolstation store shows an array of potholes and patched up segments. It’s a long road so there’s probably too many to count.

Mr Straw said: “It takes very little to send a rider unwillingly away from their intended direction of travel. This is inherently dangerous on a cycle.”

Entry to Derby Bus Station
The entry to Derby Bus station off St Alkmunds Way has big potholes on the middle of the road.

It was more frequently used when the multi-storey Cock Pitt Island car park was open.

Obviously, heavy buses use the road daily so seeing them may not be a big surprise. But some are very long in length.

With passengers on board, maybe the roads here need a fix?

It was announced recently that Derby Bus Station will be getting upgrades to the tune of £4million.

Uttoxeter New Road
Uttoxeter New Road near to the Bemrose School has been named by drivers as one of the worst roads in the city.

A road defect here made the news last year. A motorist was fined on two occasions for entering a bus lane.

The driver said he had entered the bus lane to swerve away from a dip in the road. He sent a video showing other drivers doing the same which was seen by thousands.

But the council were not sympathetic. It stated it “does not consider minor road defects to be a valid excuse for entering the bus lane”.

Full Street
As well as Alfreton Road, Mr Straw has also called Full Street one of the worst to travel on his bike.

This is the road in the city centre from the Silk Mill pub to its junction with Derwent Street, adjacent to the Council House.

He said: “If there was an award for the roughest and least enjoyable road to cycle on in Derby city, this would be a strong contender. A distinct contrast to the fairly recent improvements in Victoria Street for cyclists.”

London Road
London Road has been a problem for potholes for years – and it seems it remains so.

Residents on social media have said the road surface is poor – mainly between its junctions with Pride Park (near to Dunelm) and Alvaston Park.

A few years ago Derby councillor Alan Graves said he received many complaints about the state of the road. The council has resurfaced some parts of it – but it appears there are still concerns.

Burton Road
Burton Road near the city centre has also been listed as one of the city’s worst.

Tony Roelich from Derby Cycling Group said the section between Abbey Street and the Aldi supermarket was in a bad way.

He said: “The road is just breaking up. It’s bone-shaking.

“I have to ride towards the middle of the road but that creates its own issues.”

What the council said
When asked about the condition of Derby’s roads, a city council spokesperson released this statement: “Derby’s roads remain safe, with 99 per cent of emergency defects being responded to within the one hour and 36-hour thresholds. We carry out regular routine inspections and any defects identified as requiring immediate attention are made safe as a priority.

“While no highway network is entirely free from defects, we respond promptly to issues that meet our intervention criteria and continue to invest in ongoing maintenance and improvement schemes across the city.”