I have no idea what the budget is for roads and pavements in the city of Brighton, but my guess is that it is fairly substantial.

Having been a councillor myself, I am aware that there is always a presumption that whatever the figure, it is routinely not enough.

However, looking at the state of, for example, the A23 London Road, which is a mass of dangerous potholes, I could believe that the city was being vastly underfunded.

The road is a horrendous patchwork of holes, uneven bits of supposedly repaired road and uneven trenches, like dreadful varicose veins, all of which are a real danger to cyclists.

This is the main gateway into the city but it does not give a very good impression to the visiting motorist.

And then I remembered.

Of course cars are not really welcome in Brighton. All roads into the city are slowly being narrowed so that every intersection becomes a bottleneck.

Those that are not yet narrow enough are being dug up and every prospect pleases as you gaze out from your car upon traffic cones and temporary traffic lights and you arrive late for yet another appointment.

So much to be done, so little money to do it.

And then I noticed a strange phenomenon.

All sorts of roads had suddenly become pregnant with lovely well kept new pathways bulging out into the road.

Palmeira Avenue, for example, hitherto a lovely wide car friendly road, is now bulging with twins if not quads (at one point there are three bulges in front of four houses).

There are roadworks everywhere you turn but still, according to the powers that be, not enough money to repair the poor relations.

Wherever you look, there is something to occupy your eye as you sit in yet one more traffic jam.

Sometimes there are even workmen working.

For the unwary and the unsteady, it is a nightmare as you try to navigate the uneven pavement or cycle along the less favoured roads.

The council is big on cycling but it might just pause to consider that there is a large segment of the population for whom, however willing they might be to assist the council in its plans for a no car city, it is not physically possible for them to go about their daily lives without the use of a car.

It would seem to most of us a somewhat more sensible approach to the real world if the council actually repaired the roads which are in such bad shape, before building all these dainty little nooks and crannies which are driving the residents barmy as they manoeuvre their cars around the bollards and bumps.

It is a good thing that the football season is almost over or Patcham would grind to a total standstill as football traffic vies with the home going shoppers for supremacy at the mini roundabout at the bottom of Carden Avenue.

It has become clear to me that football supporters are either thoroughly thoughtless, habitual law breakers or simply illiterate as they ignore the signs at the bottom of Carden Avenue stating clearly that football traffic is not allowed.

I have mentioned this before in this column but I still get stopped in the street and asked what can be done.

Perhaps some suitable roadworks would deter the offenders.

At least the potholes would benefit!