A Wiltshire teenager has become so fed up with the potholes in his hometown that he’s took matters into his own hands... by turning them into one huge crazy golf course.
18-year-old Ben Thornbury of Malmesbury, north Wiltshire, realised that the number of potholes in the town were beginning to concern and disrupt the community.
After seeing members of the Malmesbury population complaining via Facebook, Thornbury decided to take the pothole epidemic into his own hands.
“The potholes in town have been a massive issue for months now,” he said.
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“Residents have been complaining on Facebook… We’ve been reporting it and had no response from the council and now people are getting fed up that nothing is being done about it.”
Thornbury mocked up a road sign to get the council’s attention, reading: "Wiltshire council, you’re a disgrace. Fix the potholes", and "High Street Crazy Potholes Golf now open."
“With my community work, I had some signs I wasn’t using. I mocked up a design on my phone for a road sign saying ‘crazy pothole golf’ and that’s how it all came about."
Using mini cones he already owned, Thornbury set up the ‘crazy pothole golf’ course.
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Apparently, after posting to Facebook about the tongue-in-cheek display, 20 residents turned up to play.
“Probably more than 20 people turned up,” he said. “For a small town, that’s very good. A family had just come into town for the day, they rocked up in the middle of the road and started playing golf with us.”
Regarding the potential impact of the spectacle, he said, “The council might not respond to a letter, but I hoped using a bit of humour would get their attention right away.
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However, since the crazy pothole golf took place on Friday, 7 April, Malmesbury and the county of Wiltshire have been awarded £3.6 million in extra funds - this is specifically to fill in potholes.
According to Caroline Thomas, Wiltshire Council Cabinet member for Transport, she’s previously received complaints regarding Malmesbury’s ‘deteriorating conditions’.
“There has been an increase in the number of potholes across the country, not just in Wiltshire,” she said.
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“Malmesbury High Street, is unfortunately an example of this. It was surveyed in 2022 and found to be sound.
“But reports from residents and businesses this year and a site visit… illustrate the rapidly deteriorating conditions.
"We have recently been awarded an additional £3.6m from the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Pothole Fund. The extra funding will support the hard work undertaken this winter to tackle the huge increase in potholes across the county."
Thomas also asks that instead of taking matters into your own hands, like Thornbury, you should report the potholes directly to your local council instead.
Topics: UK News
Ella Scott