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More than £5k paid out to Gedling borough drivers chasing pothole compensation – but most claims not successful

211 of the total number of claims were from the Gedling borough area

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Nottinghamshire County Council paid out more than £5k in compensation for damage or injury caused by potholes in Gedling borough during 2023.

The council paid out more than £56,000 in compensation across Nottinghamshire.

Statistics show just 90 cases were settled out of a total 1,601 complaints received in the last year.

The authority also confirmed through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request there had been requests for compensation from people involved in life-changing or fatal accidents.

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The county council has pointed to extreme weather events in recent years affecting the condition of the roads.

County Hall Nottingham
Nottinghamshire County Council paid out more than £56,000 in pothole compensation across the area

A freedom of information request revealed that only six per cent of pothole compensation claims are successful and the national figure is about 25 per cent

Nottinghamshire County Council, which is responsible for maintaining the roads, asks residents to report potholes through its website or the My Notts App.

Gedling resident Chris Cook Cann submitted the FOI.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The state of the roads has been deteriorating so rapidly, I think they’re so unsafe now.

“I thought it would be interesting to find out how much they were spending on compensation.

“It seems only six per cent of claims are successful and the national figure is about 25 per cent. That’s fairly alarming.”

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The FOI also revealed that 211 of the total number of claims were from the Gedling borough area. Twelve of these had been settled, with £5,555 paid out in total for 2023.

Ms Cook Cann added: “A lot of people are deeply out of pocket.

“Some of these potholes look like serious accidents waiting to happen.

“I would encourage everybody to report potholes.

“It’s a big issue because it affects a lot of people.

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“I am changing routes to go to places because I’m sure my vehicle will get damaged soon.”

A separate FOI reveals in the last two financial years, claims have increased but the amount paid out has gone down.

In 2022-23, 1,085 claims were submitted with 33 settled. A total of £19,629 was paid out by Nottinghamshire County Council.

And in 2021-23, 660 claims were submitted with 28 settled at a cost of £27,729.

In 2019-20, a total of £66,795 was paid out to 50 people, of a total 592 claims received.

Nottinghamshire County Council, which is responsible for maintaining the roads, asks residents to report potholes through its website or the My Notts App.

They said an inspector will attend within 10 working days to assess a reported site for repairs.

A county council spokesperson said: “Recent severe weather episodes have taken a significant toll on Nottinghamshire’s roads.”

“Severe flooding causes substantial damage to our highways, which then deteriorate further when heavy rainfall is combined with sub-zero temperatures to create a ‘freeze/thaw’ effect.

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1 COMMENT

  1. nothing unusual already had to have rear o/s spring due to snapping on road surfaces or fail mot but nobody at county hall interested road and transport appalling.

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