Manchester Council spends more than £1m a year on pothole compensation

Manchester Council spent more than £1 million in a single year paying compensation to road users affected by potholes - more than any other authority in the country.

Between April 2019 and March 2020, the council forked out a total of £1.16m for damage to vehicles and personal injury caused by potholes - more than twice as much as the next closest council.

In total, authorities across England spent £8.3m on compensation payments over the 12 months, according to data released under a Freedom of Information request.

Manchester came out as the biggest spender, well ahead of second place Derbyshire Council, where claims total £500,000, and Essex, where the council settled claims worth more than £372,000.

However, in some regions single payouts reached into six figures. In one incident, St Helens Council was made to pay almost £200,000 to a cyclist who suffered multiple injuries in a crash caused when they hit a pothole.

The data was uncovered by online car retailer Heycar, which also looked at how much it costs councils to fix potholes, revealing huge differences around the country. While the average repair cost was around £80, the amount spent by individual councils ranged from £18 in Torbay to £398 in Bexley.

It also revealed some of the most serious claims and payouts made by individual councils.

As well as the cyclist who received nearly £200,000 after being seriously injured in a crash on the A49, other major claims included £20,500 paid out by Brent council in London to a motorcyclist knocked from their bike after hitting a pothole, and a £4,500 payout by Greenwich Council to a driver who crashed their car after hitting a pothole.

The RAC has said Britain’s roads are in a “desperate state” and earlier this year reported a record increase in the number of pothole-related call-outs. Between January and March 2021 the recovery service attended 4,694 pothole-related problems, up from 1,461 in the previous quarter year.

Dan Powell, senior editor at heycar, said: “Potholes are such a familiar sight, and I’m sure everyone will have a top ‘worst road’ in their area that comes to mind when potholes are mentioned - but they’re much more than just an inconvenience.

“They’re causing real damage to people and their vehicles and the rate at which potholes are appearing is too fast for councils to keep up with. So even more claims will be coming, further reducing the funds available for road repairs.

“Driving should be a feelgood experience, especially after the restrictions of the past year. However, poorly maintained roads only lead to concern and frustration. The pothole crisis only appears to be getting worse, and more funds need to be allocated to help councils fill them quicker.”