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A retired builder has 'lost faith' in the council at the state of a road in Cliffe Woods, describing it as 'dangerous' and is now refusing to pay council tax. David Johnson said the raised section of Perry Hill Road near his home has been damaging cars for months and could cause a serious accident. The 77-year-old first noticed the 'dangerous hump' in Spring and is furious little has been done to fix it despite reporting it several times. He told KentOnline he can hear his car getting damaged every time he drives over it. 'To avoid damage, I have to put my wheels in the middle of the road and the others on the grass verge, which means driving half on the verge where there are thorns. 'It's not safe. You shouldn't have to drive like that,' he said. Now Johnson has cancelled his council tax direct debit in protest. 'They're charging me for a service I'm not getting,' he added. 'Under the 1982 Sale of Goods and Services Act, you have to provide the service you're charging for. 'Well, they're not providing it. I'll wait for them to take me to court.' Earlier this year, he raised the issue with a highway officer, highlighting the problem will only get worse over time. 'I told her it's not like a cut finger that gets better on its own. This will only get worse, and it has,' he added. Despite several council visits, work on the road still hasn't been carried out. He was also left red-faced when his daughter pointed out to highway authorities the issues are the raised section. 'She said to them how bad it looked, and the guy told her to just drive with two wheels in the middle and two on the grass. I couldn't believe it.' But he didn't give up. Johnson also reached out to his local Reform UK members, Cliffe and Cliffe Woods Parish Council, who passed on his report to Medway Council. He's had no updates on any planned work, saying the matter continues to be ignored and is anxious it'll cause a serious crash if left unattended. 'I was once driving up the M6 when my brother-in-law suddenly lost his brakes because of a damaged brake pipe underneath,' he added. 'It could easily happen here. You go over that hump, scrape the underside, then drive off without realising the damage until it's too late.' He's now preparing to take legal action if the issue isn't fixed, referring to Section 41 of the 1980 Highways Act, which imposes a duty on highways authorities to maintain roads in a safe condition. Johnson said the issue is becoming costly to motorists because it's damaging their cars and should be of concern out of public safety. 'The council has a duty to repair it. If they don't, I'll apply to the magistrates' court to make them do it.' Johnson said to add to the problem, a blockage in a drain ditch, which causes flooding. The road is a narrow lane, only wide enough for one car, and also used by heavy trucks. He explains road concerns aren't just isolated to Perry Hill Road, but also Merryboys Road, which is around the corner. He's also reported how this road is in poor condition about three years ago. 'It's sunk around a manhole cover, and you can see scratches on it,' he explained. 'I reported that years ago. They threw a bit of tarmac in but never fixed it properly.' Medway Council said it's monitoring Perry Hill Road's condition, but the section doesn't meet the threshold for repair. A council spokesperson said: 'Following reports on the condition of the road, our highway engineers have attended Perry Hill on a number of occasions. 'Although they noted there is some deterioration, it does not currently meet the requirements for repair. 'We are responsible for maintaining more than 845km of road across Medway, and reactive repairs and proactive maintenance have to be prioritised due to the funding we have available. 'However, we are continuing to regularly monitor Perry Hill, and repairs will be made if the condition of the road continues to deteriorate. 'During one site visit, three vehicles did pass this section of Perry Hill, whilst travelling at or below the designated speed limit, without scraping the underside of their vehicles.' In response to Johnson's move to stop paying council tax, they said: Council tax is a legal requirement and must be paid. 'The money collected helps to fund a wide range of essential local services in Medway, including social care, weekly waste collections, community safety, education, and more. 'Non-payment of council tax can lead to formal recovery action to recover the debt.
