Claims for pothole damage are increasing in South East
Councils across the South East have seen a rise in claims for pothole compensation, with payments averaging £260 each.
Research shows that Surrey County Council saw the biggest increase in respondents, with 3,418 claims in 2023, compared to 734 in 2022.
The figures, obtained from Freedom of Information requests submitted by roadside assistance provider RAC, show that there were 655 requests to Kent County Council in 2022, compared to 1,884 in 2023.
A spokesperson for Surrey County Council said it is working “incredibly hard” to improve the roads and has allocated £300 million to tackle roads and pavements over the next five years. Kent County Council was also contacted for comment.
RAC research has asked 18 municipalities with the largest road networks for information pit compensation.
They found that 15% of claims submitted last year resulted in payouts, with the highest denial rate among those requested by Gloucestershire County Council being 98%.
Although payments averaged £260 each, the RAC believes a typical repair bill for pothole damage beyond a flat tire is £460.
RAC policy head Simon Williams called the findings “a stark reminder” of the poor state of many local roads “burning holes in the budgets of local authorities and drivers alike”.
He added: “We strongly urge drivers inform councils about any potholes they are aware of, either via the RAC website or via the free Stan app which collects data on the condition of UK roads.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced plans in her budget last month to fund work to fix a further million potholes in the 2024-2025 financial year by increasing funding in England by £500 million to almost £1.6 billion.
Adam Hug, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, said there is an estimated £16.3 billion in repairs backlog to get the country’s local roads “in order”.
He added: “Rather than pay for expensive compensation claims, councils prefer to use their budgets to keep our roads in good condition, reducing the risk of vehicle damage and personal injury.”
Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth at Surrey County Council, said: “We are repairing more potholes than in previous years, with more than 32,200 potholes repaired by our highways teams between April and September 2024 alone. We’re also repairing them faster now, taking an average of just three days to complete repairs, compared to seven days in 2023.”
