Revealed: Britain’s pothole capital where almost 80% of the roads need improving… so how bad is your area?
Bristol has been named England’s pothole capital – with almost 80% of roads in need of improvement.
Comparethemarket’s analysis of local authority data has identified the municipalities that are furthest behind in road repairs.
The Daily Mail is campaigning to end the pothole plague in Britain, which is costing drivers millions and putting cyclists at risk of injury or death.
Councils are responsible for the maintenance of most roads in their areas, while National Highways take care of motorways and major A roads.
But the comparison site revealed a pothole postcode lottery, with the proportion of well-maintained roads varying widely across the country.
Analysis of local authority data by Comparethemarket has listed the municipalities most lagging behind in road repairs
The Daily Mail is campaigning to end the pothole plague in Britain which is costing drivers millions and putting cyclists at risk of injury or death
Councils are responsible for the maintenance of most roads in their areas, while National Highways take care of motorways and major A roads.
Bristol was found to have the highest proportion of dilapidated roads, with 78.5% requiring work immediately or in the near future.
However, current plans suggest that only 0.4% of the city’s road network will be reinforced, resurfaced or undergo surface treatment by the end of this month.
Blackburn’s roads with Darwen were the second worst in England, with 76% needing improvement.
And elsewhere in the North West, Cheshire West and Cheshire were ranked third for most neglected roads – with 72% in the area needing work.
Meanwhile, the best-maintained roads in the country were in Redcar and Cleveland, where more than 90% are in good condition.
Industry statistics suggest England and Wales’ backlog of potholes would take nine years and cost more than £12billion to clear.
Julie Daniels, car insurance expert at Comparethemarket, said: “Pots are the bane of every driver’s life.
“Not only are they a road safety hazard, but they can also cause significant damage to your car if you hit one.” Nicholas Lyes, head of road policy at the RAC, said: ‘It can’t be right for council boundaries to dictate whether a road is in good condition or not, but that’s what this research seems to suggest.
“As councils struggle to balance the books as their budgets shrink, it’s clear that in some parts of the country it’s the roads that lose out.” Motorists with comprehensive auto insurance can usually claim damages related to potholes.
Local authorities also accept claims for compensation if a car is damaged by a pothole in their area.
However, there is no guarantee that a claim will succeed.
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said it would need more time to analyze the data, but added that an additional £2.5million would be allocated to its nest fund- de-poule for the next exercise.
Cllr David Renard, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: ‘There are many reasons for the differences in local road conditions, including the age of the road network, weather impacts, frequency in which it is used or if it is unearthed. by utility companies.
“Current levels of funding are already insufficient and, together with the effects of inflation, this will lead to deterioration of the roads.”
Tell us about the worst potholes near you and we could FIX it for FREE!
Daily Mail, MailOnline and This is Money readers can submit photos of the worst potholes near them and you’ll automatically be entered into a draw to have it permanently removed for free.
When a winner is chosen, JCB will send their PotholePro crater repair machine to fix it.
Email potholes@dailymail.co.uk by following the five steps below:
1. Send an email with the subject ‘POTHOLE’.
2. Please attach an image no larger than 2MB of the pothole.
3. Include a brief description of the pothole and how serious you think it is.
4. Tell us where it is, including the name of the road and the nearest town or village.
5. Include your full name and a phone number in case we need to contact you for more details about the pothole you named – and possibly fix it.
We’ll choose a selection of the worst potholes you’ve named and put to readers’ vote which one should be repaired by JCB’s PotholePro for free.
Personal data will not be shared with any third parties.
> Find out more about the JCB PotholePro and how it could fix a road near you
