Potholes cost region’s councils £8m in damage claims

COUNCILS in the West Midlands paid out almost £8 million in compensation for damage caused by their roads last year, even though a pothole is filled every three minutes.

In the West Midlands, 208,000 potholes were filled in 2016/17 – an average of one every two minutes and 32 seconds – according to the latest results of the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey, produced by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA). In 2016/17, councils across the West Midlands said they paid out £7.9 million in compensation to road users due to poor road conditions.

Taking into account the lifespan of materials, the type of road, and the level and nature of its traffic, the recommended frequency of road resurfacing is between 10 and 20 years.

But, in the West Midlands, the average time before a road is resurfaced is 66 years – the longest wait of any region in England and Wales.

The survey also asked highways departments to estimate how much it would cost to bring road networks up to scratch, assuming they had the resources. Based on responses from local authorities, it is estimated councils in the West Midlands would need £1.25 billion – an average of £96.3 million each – to clear the backlog.

If adequate funding and resources were in place, highways departments reported that the estimated amount of time required to carry out such work would be around nine years.

Across England and Wales, councils filled 1.75 million potholes in 2016/17, said the survey, down 20 per cent from the 2.19 million filled in 2015/16.