Pothole Compensation Claims Increase Across South East

Local authorities in the South East region have experienced an increase in claims for compensation related to potholes, with individual payments averaging £260. Data indicates that Surrey County Council recorded the most significant rise among the councils surveyed, receiving 3,418 claims in 2023, up from 734 in 2022. These statistics, acquired through Freedom of Information requests lodged by the breakdown service RAC, reveal that Kent County Council received 655 requests in 2022, which increased to 1,884 in 2023. A spokesperson for Surrey County Council stated that the council is working “incredibly hard” to enhance the road infrastructure and has committed £300m over the next five years to address roads and pavements. Kent County Council reported an annual investment exceeding £50m into its road network. The RAC’s research involved requesting data on pothole compensation from 18 local authorities possessing the most extensive road networks. This investigation determined that 15% of claims submitted last year led to compensation payments, with Gloucestershire County Council recording the highest rate of claim refusals among the surveyed authorities, at 98%. Although the average payment per claim was £260, the RAC estimates that the typical cost for repairing pothole damage, excluding punctures, amounts to £460. Simon Williams, the RAC’s head of policy, described the findings as “a stark reminder” of the substandard state of numerous local roads, which are “burning holes in the budgets of both local authorities and drivers.” He further stated: “We strongly urge drivers to inform councils about any potholes they are aware of, either via the RAC’s website or using the free Stan app which collects data on the state of UK roads.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her recent Budget proposals to finance the repair of an additional one million potholes during the 2024-25 financial year, achieved by boosting funding in England by £500m, bringing the total to almost £1.6bn. Adam Hug, the transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, indicated an estimated £16.3bn backlog of necessary repairs to bring the nation’s local roads “up to scratch.” He also commented: “Instead of paying for costly compensation claims, councils much prefer to use their budgets to keep our roads in a good condition, in turn reducing the risk of damage to vehicles and personal injuries.” Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for highways, transport, and economic growth, stated: “We’re fixing more potholes than previous years with over 32,200 potholes fixed by our highways teams from April – September 2024 alone. We’re now fixing them quicker too – taking on average just three days to complete repairs, compared to seven days in 2023.” Neil Baker, Kent County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, noted that the RAC’s data confirmed potholes represent a national concern, extending beyond Kent. He added that despite the financial investment in Kent’s roads and the “relentless work” dedicated to their upkeep and repair, the volume of reported defects remained “exceptionally high,” with the maintenance backlog in Kent exceeding £1bn. He further commented: “We continue to raise the need for a dramatic increase in highway funding over a long period, as this would mean we would instead be talking about the long term benefit of resurfacing and rebuilding roads, with a fully funded programme laid out over decades, rather than the annual number of individual potholes to fix.” For updates, follow BBC Surrey on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be sent to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.