'I don't believe a word they say': 'Daventry Banksie' vows to continue pothole campaign to sort 'lethal roads'

The campaigner, known locally as the Daventry Banksie, revealed new campaign plans for this coming weekend.

The mother and wife has been displaying hand-painted boards across Northamptonshire since last month in an effort to pressure West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) into taking action.

She has placed more than 27 signs across the county so far, and more are planned to appear in the following days.

In an interview with this newspaper, Daventry Banksie said yesterday (Monday): “It's not all about me. It's about the potholes, and it's really about togetherness. We deserve better. It's like that Spartacus moment. I want people to say, ‘I am Daventry Banksie’. I want everyone involved; just be a general nuisance.”

Daventry Banksie began putting signs up in Northamptonshire around March 12.

She said: “It was just as simple as I'm going to put a sign out. That's all it was. It was just that one thought of doing it, and then when I saw that people were responding to it and the big problem it was, I thought, OK, I'll put a few more out.”

The mystery campaigner responsible for the series of pothole placards usually places the signs on prominent roundabouts or directional signposts. The signs are usually up for a few hours or days before being removed by the council.

Daventry Banksie said: “The entire community is being affected by this. I've had some really, really heartbreaking emails and messages sent to me from people who have been so affected by potholes.

“It just really shook home. It's wrong. We pay the highest amount in council tax. It shouldn't be happening. Not in this day and age.”

After a few weeks, WNC provided answers to some of the questions posed by this newspaper. To view its answers answer, click here.

Reflecting on their statement, Daventry Banksie said: “Terribly inaccurate. I mean, when I read, I was like, ‘Oh my God’. They're just lying. It's just staggering.

“So I've been adopting this line of ‘Blah blah blah’ that Greta Thunberg uses.”

Around midday on Friday, April 5, WNC shared a mock-up of one of the protester's signs with a series of song titles on Facebook.

Daventry Banksie said: “I told them that they were out of touch, unapproachable, stony-faced, and lacked a sense of humour.

“When I saw the post, I thought it was great because that's the way to connect with people. Have a bit of humour. But then I thought it would be followed up with almost what the Oxford Council has done. That's what WNC needs to do. That's what the people want.”

It was Daventry Banksie who made the initial contact with WNC. According to her, she sent two emails and two messages via their Facebook page before the council posted "that funny post." She received an invitation for a conversation, but she declined.

She said: “I don't want to do anything behind closed doors. I don't believe a word they say.

“I was warned that I would possibly be made an example of. Of what? I suppose fly-tipping.”

In reaction to the council's post, the campaigner displayed a new sign that same day.

Daventry Banksie said: “On Friday after that humorous post from the council went on social media, I brazenly walked down the road with a sign under my arm. I walked on the Icon roundabout and put it up. Middle of the day.

“Everybody wants it. People can't get to the A5 and the motorway as quickly as they used to because of the state of our roads. The ambulance service is surely struggling. It's just waiting for a fatality. These roads are lethal.”

The campaigner revealed that she intends to place other signs in Daventry and surrounding villages in the coming days. She may even start to produce merchandise.

Daventry Banksie said: “I might just leave a blank board up and a couple of pens at the side with it and allow people to write their own message.

“Once we get a statement of work, which is what I'm hanging out for, I will just go as quickly as I came. I have to live around here, and when it all blows over, I don't want to be known as Daventry Banksie. I'm just an ordinary woman. That's all.”

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, WNC leader, said: “It’s a challenge for all councils to balance the competing priorities for our limited budgets. We know the state of our roads matters to the public. We spend £26 million across our road and transport services annually, but the reality is that to properly resurface all our roads in West Northants would cost as much as £250 million when our total budget for a year is just £400 million.”

Click here to view the list of demands and questions for WNC received by this newspaper from Daventry Banksie and pictures of past placards made by her.

Representatives from Kier Transportation will be at Brixworth Village Hall on Wednesday, April 10, from 3 to 4.30pm to address any highway concerns.