The Daily Mail carries a report that drivers in Devon have submitted claims amounting to more than £1million for vehicle damage caused by potholes in just eight months, but the council has paid out less than five per cent of the claims.
A total of 966 vehicle damage claims have been submitted to Devon County Council since April this year with the value totalling £1.1million.
The figures were obtained by Councillor Frank Letch (Lib Dem, Crediton), who was seeking information on the number of potholes the county is dealing with.
Cllr Letch said the figures showed that 28,801 reports of potholes have been made by members of the public in this financial year alone, and that the council had identified 1,505 potholes for repair.
We’re receiving an extra £6.663 million for highway maintenance this financial year.
The money is a share of the Government’s £8.3 billion investment in roads over the next 11 years using funds redirected from the cancelled HS2 rail line extension to Manchester.
The initial schemes prioritised to start in the coming weeks are mostly minor routes and residential roads across the county.
The funding will also accelerate patching and pothole repairs across Devon’s 8,000 mile road network – the biggest of any authority in the country. The aim is for the repair schemes to be completed this financial year……
East Devon Watch 