Mark Whitehead 19 October 2017

Councils paid out more than £3m last year due to pothole damage

Putting all the UK's potholes together would create a 40km hole stretching down to the Earth's mantle, according to research by the comparison website Confused.com.

The research, obtained through freedom of information requests to almost 200 local authorities and a survey of motorists, found more than 1m potholes were reported by drivers in 2016.

Confused.com says a third of drivers reported damage to their car from potholes and councils paid £3.1m in compensation to victims last year.

They spent more than £104m repairing potholes, but 69% of drivers think they should do more to tackle the problem.

The website has created an interactive animation showing the 40k hole which is almost four times as deep as the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean.

According to Confused.com Wiltshire Council made the biggest pay-out to victims of pothole damage, more than half a million pounds in total, followed by Surrey and Cardiff.

The cost of repairing potholes also varied widely. Westminster council came top of the list paying an average £2,400 to repair each of 250 potholes last year.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: 'If drivers experience a bump in the road, they should report it to their local council as soon as possible before the problem gets any worse.

'The cost of motoring alone is getting more and more expensive and damage repairs is a big contributor to this, as car parts increase in price as well.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Casual Duty Managers (Sports Centres)

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
£14.28 per hour plus 12.07% holiday relief pay al
Casual Duty Managers (Sports Centres)
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth

Community Support Worker - Centralised Safeguarding Triage

Essex County Council
£25395.00 - £32131.00 per annum + +26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Community Support Worker - Centralised Safeguarding TriagePermanent, Full Time£25,395 to £32,131 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Mechanical Engineer (Gas) - Harlow District Council

Essex County Council
Up to £450.0000 per day
Mechanical Engineer (Gas) Location, HarlowFull time, Temporary 6-12 Months £350.88 PAYE / £450.00 Umbrella Closing Date
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Principal Planner - Basildon Borough Council

Essex County Council
£50 - £55 per hour
Principal Planner - Basildon Borough Council Full-Time, Temporary 6 Months Contract 36.25 hours£50-£55 per hour Umbrella Closing Date
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Principal Systems Analyst Applications

Oxfordshire County Council
£46412 - £49282
The ICT Principal Systems Analyst will be the subject matter expert on the Children's Social Care and Early Help Applications. They will be aware of and will contribute to Application roadmap developments, keep abreast of legislative changes and customer Oxford
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council
Linkedin Banner