THE Vale of Glamorgan Council tweeted yesterday: “We need your help to locate potholes across the Vale, if you see one, let us know.”

The Vale council’s invitation to report potholes shows they are only interested in holes deeper than 40mm (1.5 inch). What a disgrace. Cyclists can be thrown off and wheels buckled by potholes half as deep. Their Big Fill policy is surely a ‘big con’, when it’s cover for neglecting inch-deep potholes around the county, waiting for a programmed visit to the ward by the Big Fill team. This policy not only gives us bumpy and unsafe roadways. It leaves roadway defects and sinking drain covers to be thumped by speedy traffic and heavy vehicles until the subsurface disintegrates. Only then does the pothole team come in to deal with a far more costly job. The Vale set its 40mm limit as a cost-cutting exercise, so they could reduce their maintenance team. They ignored common sense, that “a stitch in time saves nine”. Cardiff have found their similar policy required them to vote an additional budget for pothole repairs this year.

Will the Vale admit their cost-cutting 40mm limit is a failure, causing worse roadways and higher costs long term?

Max Wallis

Westbourne Road

Penarth