'Rip Off Britain' claim over pothole damage compensation in Nottinghamshire
Hundreds of claims were made in Ashfield this year
Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been paid out to drivers whose vehicles have been damaged by potholes.
New figures show from Nottinghamshire County Council’s Independent Alliance show 1,333 claims for compensation were made this year to October alone, higher than any year since 2019.
However, just 73 of these claims were settled, at a cost of £30,341, with 314 of the claims in Ashfield rejected.
The data was brought before the county council’s Place Select Committee. Ashfield Independent councillor Tom Hollis told the meeting: “Resident after resident has been in touch to complain about the compensation process – some of the stories we hear about could fill a full episode of Rip Off Britain or Watchdog.
“Residents tell me that the way this council act is abhorrent. If someone claims – then the council simply say that they have carried ‘adhoc’ inspections just before.
“So, under the current process, if the council indicate that they plan to fix roads then it doesn’t matter that residents damage their cars or put their lives at risk on our broken roads.
“Would the chairman agree with me that Nottinghamshire County Council is more interested in its reputation and saving money than it is about Nottinghamshire resident’s vehicles?”
The figures, released to the Independent Alliance Opposition Group show that in 2019, there were 519 compensation claims linked to pot hole damage, with 93 settled costing £205,308. By October 2023, the latest figures available, claims for claims had risen to 1,333, with 73 settled costing just £30,341. They also show that claims are highest in the Ashfield District, with 314 claims this year to October.
Highways officials did not comment at the meeting on Councillor Hollis’s comments or the figures. Ashfield News approached Nottinghamshire County Council for comment but they did not respond in time for publication.
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