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Topic: Issues with driveway and contractor< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
onedaymyfriend
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Posted: 08 Nov. 2019,19:43 QUOTE
Good evening all, I'm hoping that someone can advise me on how to deal with my situation.

In early August '19 we had our drop kerb extended.



Within 3 weeks there were some issues with the tarmac - it was crumbling in places, it had weeds sprouting up thru it and there were several tyre marks. All of which I brought to the contractors attention straight away. The contractor said it must have been a dodgy batch of tarmac and agreed to return in October to redo.

In late Oct '19 they returned and re-laid the driveway.  This time round there ere roller mark the width of the drive, the tarmac was very wavy and it was crumbling (again). At this point the drive still hadn't been driven on.















I let the contractor know what was going on, his response - I'm sorry I can't help, please feel free to complain to the council. If they say its bad I'll redo. By now he's not answering my calls, so I called the local highways team who sent a guy out straight away!

Unfortunately he was new to the team and wasn't willing to say what was going to happen next and that the top highways guy would come out next week. He mentioned that the council are only interested in the driveway being safe and not how it looks. Needless to say I was lost for words.

If anyone can give me any kind of advice with regards to this it would be a massive help, my brain is fried!

Thank you.
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Tony McC
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Posted: 10 Nov. 2019,09:54 QUOTE
The council would only be able to comment on the section they actually own, if any. Where there is an agreed "service strip", this is uslaly the first 1.8 to 2.0m behind the kerb. The remainder is a private driveway and they have neither jurisdiction nor, I suspect, any wish to get involved.

You should put your concerns in writing and send them via recorded delivery to the contractor, copying-in the council Highways' Team. Request a written answer in which they set out exactly how the intend to rectify the issues you've identified, and indicate the timescale involved.

If that gets no response, that would be the time to consider seeking legal advice and obtaining an assessment report from an independent third party.

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onedaymyfriend
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Posted: 10 Nov. 2019,13:30 QUOTE
Quote (Tony McC @ 10 Nov. 2019,09:54)
The council would only be able to comment on the section they actually own, if any. Where there is an agreed "service strip", this is uslaly the first 1.8 to 2.0m behind the kerb. The remainder is a private driveway and they have neither jurisdiction nor, I suspect, any wish to get involved.

You should put your concerns in writing and send them via recorded delivery to the contractor, copying-in the council Highways' Team. Request a written answer in which they set out exactly how the intend to rectify the issues you've identified, and indicate the timescale involved.

If that gets no response, that would be the time to consider seeking legal advice and obtaining an assessment report from an independent third party.

Thanks for your reply Tony, it's much appreciated.

The council actually own the whole area, this is how it used to look.



I'll see what the senior Highways officer has to say next week and go from there. If I'm honest I can see this going to court.

Thanks again Tony.
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onedaymyfriend
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Posted: 11 Nov. 2019,22:21 QUOTE
Quick update: Highways came out today and have condemned the driveway. They have contacted the contractor, who once again has blamed the materials.

The contractor has agreed to redo the driveway but is insisting on doing it in the new year once winter has passed. We've not yet agreed to this, I think we need to speak to Citizens Advice first.
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loudog
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Posted: 24 Nov. 2019,10:09 QUOTE
I'm guessing when they did it the second time round, they didn't take out the first batch but just excavated around the kerbing going for an overlay job. The trouble with that is it does not allow you to lay a real decent layer over the area, it looks cold material to me. It is hard to see from the photos but if it bevels over at the  kerb it is a sure thing they have just overlaid it, core sample it I would.
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onedaymyfriend
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Posted: 24 Nov. 2019,11:06 QUOTE
Quote (loudog @ 24 Nov. 2019,10:09)
I'm guessing when they did it the second time round, they didn't take out the first batch but just excavated around the kerbing going for an overlay job. The trouble with that is it does not allow you to lay a real decent layer over the area, it looks cold material to me. It is hard to see from the photos but if it bevels over at the  kerb it is a sure thing they have just overlaid it, core sample it I would.

Thanks for your reply loudog, they removed all of the old batch just leaving some smaller pieces which they then rollered over and then they relaid the drive.

The contractor was meant to email me that day, but almost 2 weeks have passed and I still haven't heard from him. I have however received an email from Highways confirming everything, which will hold me in good stead if I need to go to court.

As you can probably imagine, the drive getting worse with every frost we have.
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loudog
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Posted: 26 Nov. 2019,23:55 QUOTE
If they do nothing then I'm afraid it won't last but if you could get some sealing grit or bit grit as I've grown to know it. This can be simply brushed in to all the holes and it can help polish it up plus it creates a barrier between your car tyres on the surface and eventually it will wear in. It may help.
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Tony McC
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Posted: 27 Nov. 2019,13:58 QUOTE
Have you let the council know that Chummy has never been back in touch?

I can't accept the alleged concern about surfacing just now: the weather will not be any better after xmas. In fact, it will be March before we se any significant improivement. Meanwhile hundreds, possibly thousands, of blacktop contractors up and down the country will carry on working as usual.

Sounds like a put-off job!

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