Our Research And Statistics On Potholes In The UK

As UK councils face a funding crisis and potholes on Britain’s road continue to take their toll, LegalExpert conducted an investigation into the current state of UK roads.

We submitted Freedom of Information requests to every council in the UK asking how many current potholes remain unrepaired within the district.

We also asked how much was paid out in the last three years in repairs and how much compensation the council has paid out due to damage caused by potholes in the last year.

Potholes continue to plague Britain’s roads

Results of our research

Below, you can find the results of our research, broken down by council district. If you don’t see your area, please check back. We update this page continuously as we receive new data.

West Berkshire Council

Pothole statistics West Berkshire Council

West Berkshire Council paid out more than £4 million in pothole repairs in the last three years.

A total of £1,012,045 was spent on potholes in the year 2020/21, followed by £956,662 in 2021/22, then £1,040,885.61 in 2022/23. Between 2023 and January 2024, £1,343,511 was spent on pothole repairs.

This amounts to an eye-watering £4,353,203.61 since 2020.

As of January 2024, there are currently 217 unrepaired potholes in the county.

Since January 2022, West Berkshire Council has paid out a total of £11,295.76 in compensation and legal fees relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes.

Norfolk County Council

Norfolk County Council spend £5.7m on potholes

Norfolk County Council has spent £5.7million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

From January to December 2021, the council spent £2,218,611 on pothole repair, followed by £1,424,918 in 2022 and £1,900,091 in 2023. 

So far in January 2024, £141,521 has been spent – meaning the authority is on track to spend a further £1,698,252 this year if the trajectory continues.

The amount spent since 2021 totals to £5,685,141.

Norfolk Council has paid out a total of £57,351 in compensation relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

The ‘pothole plague’ is taking its toll on Britain’s roads

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) spent more than £2 million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

In 2021, the Council spent £664,134 on pothole repairs, followed by £931,459 in 2022 and £697,902 in 2023. 

The total amounts to £2,293,495 since 2021.

LegalExpert’s investigation revealed that BCP Council paid out a total of £15,546 in compensation relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022.

City of Doncaster Council

City of Doncaster Council spends £700K on potholes

City of Doncaster Council has spent over £700K on pothole repairs alone in the last three years as Britain’s roads ‘fall into disrepair.’

In 2021, the Council spent £275,863.99 on pothole repairs, followed by £349,494.51 in 2022 and £167608.30 in 2023. 

The total amounts to a whopping £729,966.80.

Worcestershire Council

Worcestershire Council paid compensation on 24 claims last year

Worcestershire Council has spent a modest amount of pothole repairs in the last three years – Just over £40,000.

In 2021, the Council spent £15,068 on pothole repairs, followed by £14,578 in 2022 and £12,135 in 2023.

In January 2024, a total of £1,686, this means the council are on track to spend more than £20,000 on potholes this year if the trajectory continues.

The total spent on potholes to date since 2021 amounts to £43,467.

What’s more, Worcestershire Council received 24 claims for compensation following vehicle damage caused by potholes.

Between January 2022 and December 2023, the council paid out a total £26,060.05 in compensation.

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Bradford Council currently have 300 outstanding potholes

Bradford Council spends over half a million pounds on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

Between 2020/21, the council spent £181,812.50, followed by £166,890.30 between 2021/22 and £181,867.00 between 2022/23.

The total amounts to £530,569.80.

What’s more, between January 2022-2024, a total of £7,274.74 was paid out in compensation for claims relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes.

Isle of Anglesey Council

Anglesey Councils spends over £1million on pothole repairs

The Isle of Anglesey Council spends £1.3 million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

Between 2021/22, the council spent £520,918, followed by £416,878 between 2022/23 and £365,558 from 2023 to January 2024. 

The total amounts to £1,303,354.

Merton Council

Merton Council Pothole Statistics

Merton Council spends just under £1 million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

In 2021, the council spent £314,289.56, followed by £216,858.83 in 2022 and £403,766.43 in 2023. 

The total amounts to £934,914.82.

Currently, the council admits there are 152 outstanding potholes in the district which, if left unrepaired, pose a “serious danger” to all road users, according to the RAC.

LegalExpert’s investigation also revealed that Merton Council has paid out a total of £1,783.15 for claims concerning vehicle damage caused by potholes between Jan 2022 and Jan 24.

Orkney Islands Council

Orkney Islands Council forks out £1.5million

A Scottish Council spends £1.5million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

In 2021, the council spent £634,425.68, followed by £533,673.05 in 2022 and £491,278.29 up to November 2023. 

The total amounts to £1,569,377.02

Currently, the council admits there are 185 outstanding potholes in the district.

The council was asked how much compensation it had paid out in claims relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes.

It confirmed that Orkney Islands Council does not settle compensation for claimable incidents but its liability insurers have settled just £727.27 between January 2022 and December 2023. 

North Tyneside Council

North Tyneside Council spent more than £400K

North Tyneside Council spent more than £400K on pothole repairs alone in the  last three years.

In 2021, the council spent £153,362.82, followed by £104,827.76 in 2022 and £155,062.74 in 2023. A further £7,326.64 was spent in January 2024

The total amounts to £420,579.96.

Currently, there are 52 outstanding potholes in the district as of January 2024.

The council confirmed it has spent just £2,706.69 in compensation for claims concerning vehicle damage caused by potholes between Jan 2023 and Jan 2024. #

Dundee County Council

Dundee County Council pays over £800K for repairs

Dundee County Council spends more than £800,000 on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

In 2021, the council spent £303,865, followed by £355,602 in 2022 and £152,620 in 2023.

The total amounts to £812,087 in the last three years. 

Currently, the council admits there are a staggering 653 outstanding potholes in the city- some of the biggest figures so far in our nation-wide investigation. If left unrepaired, the craters pose a “serious danger” to all road users, according to the RAC.

Despite its high figures, the council has only paid out a total of £1150.50 in compensation claims relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since 2022. 

Scottish Borders Council

SBC spends staggering £9.6million

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) spends a staggering £9.6 million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years as Britain’s roads ‘fall into disrepair.’

Borders Council has spent millions more on fixing potholes than any other authority 

Between 2020/21, the council spent £2,504,308, followed by £3,273,217 between 2021/22 and £3,822,568 between 2022/23.

The total amounts to £9,600,093 in the last three years.

SBC has paid out a total of £17,389.53 in compensation claims relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since 2022. 

When asked about the current number of outstanding potholes, the Council said the data is not stored in an “accessible manner” and that they are developing a new digital Asset Management System.

Rotherham Council

Rotherham Council spends nearly £1million on potholes

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council spends close to £1 million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

In 2021, the council spent £354,119.81, followed by £347,376.77 in 2022 and £254,773.78 in 2023. 

In January this year, the authority spent £38,231.24 meaning it is on track for its biggest annual payout of around £459,000 if the trajectory continues.

The total amounts to £994,501.60 in the last three years.

Rotherham MBC has paid just £12,765 in compensation claims relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since 2022. 

The council admits to currently having 395 outstanding potholes which, if left unrepaired pose a “serious danger” to all road users, according to the RAC.

Torfaen Borough County Council

Torfaen CBC paid out £3million in pothole repairs

Torfaen County Borough Council has spent £3 million on pothole repairs in the last three years.

Between 2021/22, the council spent £905,542, followed by £1,152,867 between 2022/23. A further £991,086 from 2023 to January 2024. 

The total amounts to £3,049,495.

But what’s more, Torfaen CBC only paid out £440 in compensation relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022.

To date, the council admits there are currently 48 unresolved potholes in the district.

Hull County Council

Hull City Council spend around £3 million on pothole repairs

Hull Council has spent around £3 million on pothole repairs in the last three years.

Between 2021/22, the council spent £1,140,000, followed by £1,089,627 between 2022/23. A further £755,836 was spent from 2023 to January 2024. 

The total amounts to £2,985,463.

Moreover, Hull CC paid out £4,814.06 in compensation claims and legal fees relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022

To date, the council admits there are currently 200 outstanding potholes in the district.

Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire CC spent £10million on pothole repairs

Oxfordshire County Council has spent £10 million on pothole repairs in the last three years.

With a population of around 144,200, it has spent far more that other UK councils that are three times its size.

As councils are now facing a major financial crisis with a £4bn funding gap estimated in the next two years, some authorities have forked out huge amounts in road maintenance repairs but very little in compensation for damages.

Between 2020/21, the council spent £2,379,650.00, followed by £2,555,175.00 between 2021/22. A further £2,520,598.00 was forked out between 2022/23 as well as £3,013,080.00 between 2023/24.

The total amounts to £10,468,503.

Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed it has paid out a total of £192,720 in compensation claims relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes between 2022 and 2024.

To date, the authority admits there are currently 1, 048 outstanding potholes in the district.

Gateshead Council

Gateshead spent £1.3 million on pothole repairs

Gateshead Council has spent around £1.3 million on pothole repairs in the last three years.

In 2021, the council spent £447,871, followed by £348,628 in 2022. A further £460, 228 was spent in 2023. 

The total amounts to  £1,256,727

Moreover, Gateshead Council paid out £5,919.26 in compensation claims and legal fees relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022

To date, the council admits there are currently 404 outstanding potholes in the district.

Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council spent £1.1 million on pothole repairs

Bristol City Council has spent more than £1 million on pothole repairs in the last three years.

In 2021, the council spent £299,400, followed by £400,010 in 2022. A further £431,375 was spent in 2023. 

The total amounts to  £1,130,785.

Moreover, Bristol City Council paid out £14,832 in compensation claims and legal fees relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022

To date, the council admits there are currently 466 outstanding potholes in the district.

Barking & Dagenham London Borough Council

The council spent £2.2million on pothole repairs

Barking & Dagenham London Borough Council (LBC) spent £2.2 million on pothole repairs alone in the last three years.

Between 2021/22, the council spent £729,500.00, followed by £745,500.00 between 2022/23. A further £745,500.00 from 2023 to January 2024. 

The total amounts to £2,220,500.

What’s more, Barking & Dagenham LBC has paid out just £3,673.65 in compensation relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022.