A CITY councillor has criticised his own council for not doing enough to fix a pothole ‘blackspot’.

Mick Haines wants Oxford City Council to do more to fix the blight of potholes and crumbling pavements plaguing his Marston ward.

He singled out the area around the Haynes Road and Arlington Drive, insisting it was an accident waiting to happen.

He said: “It has been going for years and they are doing nothing about them.

“I am contacting the council and have been told that they are going to do something about it but nothing has happened.

“An elderly woman living nearby tripped and fell over in Haynes Road the other day.

“It is a serious accident waiting to happen. All around this area the roads and pavements are terrible.

“Haynes Road has been bad for years and people have complained to me about this problem for years.

“The council certainly need to get here and do a proper job at Haynes Road, not just a quick fix but a proper repair. It isn’t just the roads but the pavements that need it too.”

The maintenance of the highways across Oxford and Oxfordshire is divided between Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council, with most roads under the remit of the county council, but with some exceptions such as at Haynes Road.

In February, it was revealed that although the county council had ordered the repair of more than 25,000 roads and footpaths in the last year alone there was not enough money in the council coffers to cover the cost of smoothing over the 2,800 mile road network each year.

In response to the fresh concerns, the council said that although it accepted the road was 'in a poor condition' there simply wasn't enough cash to put into repairing the road.

Spokesman Tony Ecclestone said: "We are aware of issues in Marston. These are low speed, 20mph residential areas. The carriageways are made of concrete with a layer of macadam overlay.

"The surface is showing signs of wear, which cosmetically looks in a poor condition. However financial constraints mean that the council must prioritise repairs.

"The council inspects all reported defects to assess their condition and many of these ones are low priority.

"We also carry out highway inspections as part of our highway inspection policy. Haynes Road has been identified for funding for a scheme along with others in the Marston area."

Anybody wishing to report a road defect can contact highways@oxford.gov.uk or highwayenquiries@oxfordshire.gov.uk or by calling 01865 252956. Alternatively, defects can also be recorded by visiting FixMyStreet.com