The lack of repairs by Wrexham Council on roads in the Ceiriog Valley have been highlighted with the opening of a new tourist attraction – Pothole Land.
Residents’ frustration at the lack of resolution to years of damaged, and worsening, roads has resulted in the spoof creation to draw attention to the problem they feel has been ignored in the Guildhall.
One resident who said ‘hooray to the artist’ told us, “It’s been at least five years since we have seen any potholes filled in Pothole Land, despite many reports and even visits from the Council. Each time there is a storm, the holes get bigger. Each time it’s a few more wheelbarrows of gravel to collect from the bottom of the lane, where it is deposited. It’s more tiring than you might expect living in Wrexham!”
Roadway in Glyn Ceiriog in 2025. May or may not be life size JCB.
Yesterday morning we asked Council Leader Mark Pritchard if he had “been to Wrexham’s newest theme park, Pothole Land, in the Ceiriog Valley?” – and pointed out its a bargain £3 entry fee.
Cllr Pritchard replied, “I have seen that. What I would say is the residents of Pontfadog and Glyn Ceiriog are entitled to express concerns or raise issues, we live in a democracy”.
“What I would say to everybody, if you are in Glyn Ceiriog, or wherever you are, we have a certain amount of money to spend on our roads. Fortunately, the Welsh Governments are giving us an opportunity to potentially borrow, and that’s going to come through the process, and we’ll be able to do that. We have been very supportive of highways in the past, putting extra money into resurfacing. I think the last time we looked at the highways and the asset management plan, I think there was a £50 million- £60 million backlog. That’s what we’re dealing with.
“The officers assess the roads, and they decide where to spend the money. We do spend 50% on our strategic roads, and we spend more on what I am going to call them community roads, everywhere else. It is a difficult one. We can’t please everybody. We have complaints regularly on roads, pot holes, drainage, flooding, everything else.
“All I would say is it is all about funding. You know my position on the front and I make my position very clear, Welsh Government got £1.2 billion pounds from Westminster, and we want a fair share of it. If the Welsh Government put an extra £22 million pound into roads, that would give us an extra million pound, and we would spend an extra million pounds on the roads.
“It is an important issue. We are having political discussions now on the council tax and how much we’re going to put into social care, how much we’re going to have to put into the environment, and other areas.
“I have been up to Glyn Ceiriog with the local councillor, and he’s drove me around, and I’ve seen the roads, and not just Glyn Ceiriog – other areas – they’re not in a good place. Of course they’re not, we recognise that and we understand that, but we have to do it on a priority basis, and we have to do it through the process.
“The plea for me is to Westminster, give us more money.
Pointing to the news reported on Monday that Ken Skates MS has announced a dedicated pot hole fund, “I must say it is encouraging that Ken said that there will be an opportunity on the capital side with investment, and we’ll see what comes to that.”
We pointed out that the issue has been going on for several years, relying one issue from a resident where council’s own bin lorries would not use a section of the council’s own roadway due to the shocking state. We asked the Council Leader if that was an acceptable position where the apparently the local authority can’t provide a service because the state of the roads.
Cllr Pritchard replied, “I have sympathy with the residents, and I support the local member on this. Trevor Bates works tirelessly on this subject matter”.
Noting it was an operational issue that was ‘going viral’ online and that the council’s Chief Executive was in the room, he added “There will be a response from the Chief Officer of the environment department on the priorities, where the money is spent and what we have. We can’t ignore it, and we would not ignore it”.
“I would love to spend an extra £1m in Glyn Ceiriog, but we just don’t have it. This is not an easy subject matter.”
We will share the update as and when it lands…
Unconfirmed developments of the theme park could see…
Axle Breaker Bumper CarsDrive around dodging potholes, but beware: some are “sinkholes” that will drop your car temporarily into the ground, giving you an extra jolt.
Pothole Safari TourA guided tram ride where you navigate through “authentic” pothole replicas of famous streets, narrated by a disgruntled local who shares hilarious rants about road maintenance.
The Tarmac Terror Obstacle CourseRun, jump, and crawl your way through an inflatable course filled with pothole traps, loose gravel, and treacherous “roadwork” zones.
Pothole Hall of FameA museum showcasing the world’s most outrageous potholes, including photographs, funny anecdotes, and “interactive” displays where you can measure their depth and diameter.
Cone CaféNamed after traffic cones, this café serves drinks in cone-shaped cups and desserts like “Asphalt Brownies” and “Gravel Cheesecake.” They may serve Wrexham Waffles – fresh waffles cooked in a pothole-shaped press, served with uneven toppings to reflect the chaotic state of the roads.
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