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Thursday, February 09 2012

Council leader's 'sponsor a pothole' scheme

Paul Clokie with his dog poppy and potholes in Tenterden

It may sound like a potty idea but council leader Paul Clokie reckons he’s come up with the answer to the pothole nightmare on Ashford’s roads.

Cllr Clokie has suggested that people buy a pothole – which they could even dedicate to a dead pet with a plaque.

The Ashford council leader estimates that the severe winter weather has created as many as 100,000 potholes in the Ashford area alone and says the 'purchase a pothole’ suggestion could help Kent County Council’s efforts to fill them in.

The idea has already been tried in Germany and Cllr Clokie feels there’s no reason why it couldn’t be used here.

The councillor, pictured right with his dog Poppy, has suggested that Kent Highways look at a bizarre scheme in which residents can buy potholes for £45.

The idea has taken off in the German village of Niederzimmern near Leipzig where villagers can buy a pothole for 50 euros, which is then filled with asphalt and a metal plaque with the owner’s name or a tribute to a loved one placed on it.

During a discussion about potholes at the Ashford Joint Transport Board meeting on Tuesday, Cllr Clokie said: “In Germany they have solved this problem because they’ve been selling potholes as places to remember loved ones.

“You buy a pothole and then it is filled in along with a marker. I think it’s something Kent County Council should look at.”

For more on this story, see the Kentish Express, on sale now.

What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk

Friday, March 12 2010

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  • martin wrote:

    one question,If a memorial/plaque is going to be placed in the road to cover a pothole, who im their right mind is going to stand in the road to read it? This is just another case of an over paid Cllr trying to sting us for something we already pay for.I have an idea, how about a sponser a tyre scheme where the council sponser a type of your car/bike to cover any damage done by these potholes??!!

    23 Mar 2010 4:56 PM

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  • Chris wrote:

    Sponsor a pothole

    What he said

    18 Mar 2010 11:43 PM

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  • David wrote:

    Sponsor a Pothole

    How about halve the price, or quarter the price and don't bother with the plaque/memorial. The plaque's/memorials are a bloody stupid idea. Just one more thing for a tyre to lose traction on, one more thing to cause injury or death to the unwary.

    How about the government stops wasting money and starts putting it where it should be used. Or how about they stop stealing tax payers money and giving themselves and their families ridiculous salaries?

    I mean really, how stupid do they think we are? They talk about corruption in places like Africa, the Middle East, Russia, etc...but I seriously think the western countries are the most corrupt of the lot, they're just better at covering it up.

    We already pay money to cover this sort of thing and every day they're dreaming up new ways of extorting money from us. How about they use our road tax to pay for this, rather than putting our road tax into all sorts of other things...like their pockets?


    Signed, one p****d off citizen.

    17 Mar 2010 8:41 PM

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  • Christopher Mason wrote:

    Sponsor a pothole

    I suppose you used your vast travel expenses to find this out. I find your suggestion insulting and offensive. Perhaps you should should consider resigning. We certainly don't want you..

    16 Mar 2010 5:46 PM

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  • mark smith wrote:

    Sponsor a pot hole

    April fool
    Well for a moment i thought it was.Really is all paul clokies time taken up thinking of redicolus ideas.what are we paying him for maybe when he retires maybe he could become a stand up comedian.

    16 Mar 2010 11:50 AM

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  • Chris Vinall wrote:

    sponsor a pothole

    "Sponsor a Pothole" Us motorist already do the goverment call it "ROAD FUND LICENCE" payed every 6 months or yearly,For the upkeep of our roads

    15 Mar 2010 5:53 PM

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