After the controversy of ripping up the iconic red tarmac on Lord Street and replacing it with black last year the new surface is already starting to deteriorate.

Sefton Council said hat the old surface was in a dangerous condition and needed to be replaced.

After protests and petitions from Councillors and locals the Council decided to go for the cheaper option of black tarmac.

This tarmac is now starting to crack up and pot holes are forming close to the Scarisbrick Hotel.

The Council have been informed.

It's ok with the rising number of faulty street lights we won't be able to see how bad it is in the dark...

More poor quality work from Dowhigh why do they keep being given these contracts ?Perhaps thats something our venerable Councillors could explain rather than pointing at things.

No real surprise there is there! Weld Rd Borkdale was resurfaced less than six months ago on the section from Lulworth Rd to the Village and that's also got pot-holes in it already...... Previously the section from Lulworth to the Fishermans Rest pub was 'dressed' and that all came off within 10 months.... What an excellent contractor Dowhigh are.... not!

Little Cambridge Road has not long been “repaired” from the botched job done by Dowhigh in 2016. It’s having to be done again at the end of February. It’s high time that Sefton Council learnt that paying peanuts, gets you monkeys.

The fourth photograph clearly shows the the loss of the pre-coated chipping from the asphalt wearing course and continues either side of the already affected area. This must have been evident at the time the surface was laid and one must call into question why did Sefton Council's highways engineers not pick up on it. The asphalt has either been laid too cold, or the pre-coated chippings have not been applied quickly enough to allow the 'kneading' of the clippings into the asphalt surface. That area will continue to expand with loss of both chipping and asphalt along that line of profile. It's all down to the engineer controlling the works.
P.S. It won't be long before areas of Lord Street begin to show signs of the reflective cracking which it has done ever since it was originally laid in the 1950's

You'd have thought with all the fuss over the colour of the tarmac they'd have at least ensured the work would be done to the highest standard. But maybe this is their highest standard.

The repaired patches on Kenilworth Road in Ainsdale are already deteriorating after less than 6 months. That's the repairs to the surface that broke down within 6 months of originally being laid. The whole lot needs scraping back and proper rolled tarmacadam laying, nothing else lasts and is a false economy.

Are they sub contracted from Carillion???? LOl

Surely it is no coincidence Dowhigh,s works yard is adjacent to Sefton Council yard in Hawthorn Road. Nice and cosy isn’t it?
Always amazes me how when the lowest bid gets the contract, Dowhigh always seem to know just how low to bid. No firm is that lucky just by chance.
Also, did they have to pay penalty charges for over running the six week schedule and digging up all the highly saleable black tiles from the pavement? These were carefully stacked on pallets so clearly they weren’t a waste product and are in great demand in London fetching tens of pounds per tile!

Originally Posted by Steve_728

Surely it is no coincidence Dowhigh,s works yard is adjacent to Sefton Council yard in Hawthorn Road. Nice and cosy isn’t it?
!

Adjacent? They're about 3 miles apart but it's not uncommon for contractors that are awarded long term contracts to be required to set up a base in the area where they will be carrying out work as part of the contract terms.

Simply bad management or total corruption.
I've worked for councils accross the UK. They always ask for satisfaction note to sign if they didn't I would insist. Simply
they've checked the work and therefore no excuse not to pay.

Originally Posted by Sandpies

The fourth photograph clearly shows the the loss of the pre-coated chipping from the asphalt wearing course and continues either side of the already affected area. This must have been evident at the time the surface was laid and one must call into question why did Sefton Council's highways engineers not pick up on it. The asphalt has either been laid too cold, or the pre-coated chippings have not been applied quickly enough to allow the 'kneading' of the clippings into the asphalt surface. That area will continue to expand with loss of both chipping and asphalt along that line of profile. It's all down to the engineer controlling the works.
P.S. It won't be long before areas of Lord Street begin to show signs of the reflective cracking which it has done ever since it was originally laid in the 1950's

They used a membrane to try and overcome the reflective cracking on the north end at least, I didn't see what they did elsewhere.

Sefton judging by the standards of work don't have anyone to oversee the contract with the necessary skill set.

Stand by for Dowhighs crack bodging team annoying motorists with their patch and run repairs.

To fail so quickly probably means the whole job is suspect, ripping it all up and relaying it will be a huge financial hit which one way or the other will fall on the council tax payers.

Originally Posted by justbecause

Little Cambridge Road has not long been “repaired” from the botched job done by Dowhigh in 2016. It’s having to be done again at the end of February. It’s high time that Sefton Council learnt that paying peanuts, gets you monkeys.

It was Kier who did this not Dowhigh. They have had 2 attempts - surface dressing in 2016 then micro surfacing in 2017. Attempt no 3 (resurfacing) is next week. 3rd time lucky... it works seem Kier are equally as incompetent

One has to ask is there any affiliation between any Sefton cabinet member and Dowhigh, backhanders in brown envelopes are not uncommon in the business world.