An angry East Yorkshire resident has been battling the council for decades in a fight for the authority to fix a potholed public footpath that leads to and from his home.
Trevor Saunders, 74, lives in one of two semi-detached cottages at the end of Snuff Mill Lane in Cottingham and uses the lane everyday to access his property.
The medieval public footpath in East Yorkshire is also a popular spot for walkers and was once the principal route for horse-drawn transport between the Cottingham and Hull.
But a 700m section of the lane is peppered with potholes and in wet weather, it's prone to flooding.
Trevor Saunders has been trying to get the council to repair the pothole for decades
GB News
GB News met Trevor at Snuff Mill Lane on a rainy day and he walked with us down the path, pointing out the myriad of potholes along the route.
"You'll see on your left, three or four potholes that the council say are acceptable," he said.
"Imagine if you were disabled and walking down here and happened to go in here [a large pothole], you'd be in trouble. I'm going to stand in one for you and you can see."
Demonstrating the depth of the potholes, Trevor then stepped into one of them along the side of the lane.
Water instantly brimmed over his galoshes and he said: "I daredn't go in any deeper than this, and anyone of age or a disability would be in serious trouble, they'd fall over."
The pensioner then stepped out of the puddle, which he later measured at 7 inches deep.
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The pothole is more than a foot deep
GB News
The uneven surface is problematic for vehicles as well as pedestrians.
The conditions on the path means that cars accessing the properties at the bottom have to drive below 5mph and veer around the potholes, but that isn't always possible.
"It's like a being in a rocking chair driving up and down, it will be damaging my car, it will cost me money," said Trevor.
In some parts of the lane, the potholes are a foot deep, and the fight to fix them has taken over Trevor's life.
As the highway authority, Trevor believes East Riding Council should provide better maintenance of the footpath.
The 74-year-old told GB News: "It's continually on my mind, I keep continually having to get the council to do their duty to this footpath.
A 700m section of the lane is peppered with potholes and in wet weather, it's prone to flooding.
GB News
"I want them to do their legal duty to this very, very popular and heavily used footpath and repair it."
In response, a spokesman for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said that the authority has made its understanding of the route on Snuff Mill Lane clear to Trevor Saunders.
In a statement, the council said: "It is a recorded public footpath and the public walking along the route should expect conditions similar to other public rights of way, in a countryside setting.
"Repairs to support traffic over and above walking for those who have private vehicular rights are not the council’s responsibility.
"The route meets a reasonable standard for this type of path and complaints from the public remain very low."
Mr Saunders has launched a crowdfunder to take legal action in order to get the lane fixed. To support, click HERE.
