£10m to curb soaring pothole compensation claims on East Yorkshire roads
A £10m roads maintenance programme has been launched in the East Riding to curb soaring compensation claims over pothole damage.
The number of people trying to get compensation from East Riding Council is six times higher than it was a year ago.
In the first two months of this year, there have been 91 claims for pothole damage, nearly as many as in the whole of last year.
Some authorities in England and Wales are facing hefty compensation bills but do not have the budget to address the potholes problem.
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In East Riding, the rush of complaints has prompted East Riding Council to double its pothole response team immediately and take longer term action.
In 2012, only three of the East Riding's 97 claims were paid. Nineteen are still outstanding.
The total East Riding roads compensation bill was £6,165 last year for pothole damage while Hull City Council paid out £3,984.51 to settle 23 of the 110 claims received.
With claims increasing, the East Riding will be keen to curb the problem before it escalates.
Nigel Leighton, director of environment and neighbourhood services at East Riding Council, said: "The council has prepared and will deliver an extensive £10.4m programme of planned road maintenance schemes across the East Riding in 2013/14, which will tackle the damage to our roads, including potholes.
"The programme will include a surface dressing programme in excess of £2m, the largest programme of its type in the history of this authority, which will help prevent further deterioration of the road network."
Delivery companies and taxi firms have been badly hit by roads they describe as "shocking".
Toni Pardon, of Beverley-based Westholme Cars, said: "There are lots of potholes at the minute, it's shocking.
"When cars go over them, they can be off the road for a while.
"It can do all sorts of damage and can be expensive.
"It's mainly around the estates, we've had people who have had to change wheels."
Tyre repair companies see a regular flow of people coming in for repairs after hitting potholes.
Paul Horsfield, service manager at Bush Tyres in Swinemoor Lane, Beverley, said: "We've had people asking what they can do about it. Sometimes they've taken a photograph of the hole."
As part of its plan to head off compensation claims, the council has also increased the number of condition surveys it is carrying out on roads in the East Riding.
The results of these surveys provide more up-to-date and reliable data regarding the condition of the roads, which will be used to target where investment is needed most.
Dealing with the problem day-to- day, East Riding Council head of streetscene services John Skidmore explained the scale of the challenge ahead.
He said: "The council is responsible for the maintenance of around 3,500km of highway network and, while the authority takes a pro-active approach to the upkeep of its highways through extensive surface dressing programmes, responds to hundreds of reports of potholes every year."
"Since January, in response to the inclement weather, including persistent rain, subzero temperatures, ice and snow, the council has doubled its number of pothole response teams to eight."
If you spot a pothole, visitwww.eastriding.gov.uk/environ ment or call the highways customer care line on 08456 001666.
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by conned
Wednesday, March 27 2013, 12:56PM
“So is it time for a Yorkshire Drivers Action Committee?
Councils find it easy to reject complaints its just an email to them but as was proved with the Cobblegate saga in Beverley peoples opinions can change the direction of the biggest players.”
by conned
Saturday, March 23 2013, 8:07PM
“Unfortunately we are dealing with a council focused on finding reason why not to do things and running for cover under the rule book. They will put evry effort into dismissing a claim such that it cost more public money in the defence than that of the claim. It is understood that this is the correct stance to protect the use of such money, however there a claims which a wholly reasonable, presented correctly and submitted in good faith that are rejected for the frailest of reasons. This is an authority that will invite you to meet them in court which they know is a course of action that most will be unable to follow through because the Council will be able to expend substantial resources far in excess of the claim to defend their integrity.”
by b00001
Friday, March 22 2013, 6:52AM
“My car is the result of a lot of hard work. In order to protect my investment I will continue to cause further traffic chaos by driving slowly and navigating around these aborations.”
by arntdullinul
Friday, March 22 2013, 12:31AM
“No shortage of money for cobbles on Beverley Market Cross aye Cllr Parnaby OBE(other beggers efforts).”
by Agingcowgirl
Thursday, March 21 2013, 7:14PM
“Ah yes, I've seen it in action!! Well done ERYC, a couple of men in a battered truck dragging a funny little machine behind, like a cross between a lawnmower and mini road roller! They went along Hull Bridge Road, Tickton, the other day, which was full of nasty pot holes, and filled some in with a small shovel full of loose black stuff and bumped it a couple of times with the little roller, then they drove off again dragging it behind them. It must have taken them all of 5 minutes, about as long as the repairs will last.”
by PatrickNewman
Thursday, March 21 2013, 3:47PM
“It's a national problem and idea for investment to get the economy going, but having cut them hard the government have left it up to councils to handle.”
by democracy_now
Thursday, March 21 2013, 3:16PM
“Anyone with an ounce of sense knows that the present road maintenance crisis has been brewing for over a decade due to ERYC DELIBERATE neglect. And to add insult to injury they try and blame the weather! Make them pay at the next local election, otherwise nothing will change, WAKE UP!”
by AG-OldTown
Thursday, March 21 2013, 1:10PM
“£9 million will be spent on meetings on how to go about it and 1 million will be spent on the cheepest and most useless company to do the work.”
by rob37n
Thursday, March 21 2013, 11:40AM
“Turning to roads in Hull for a second, does anyone want to explain why Newland Park got fully resurfaced, a non thoroughfare with only light traffic but happens to be the poshest part of the city, and other areas that are more like off-roading, say turning onto Hall Road by the roundabout where Endyke Lane, Ellerburn Ave, Hall Road, Greenwood Ave, etc., meet has been left as it is? A smaller area of surface to fix, with a much higher amount of traffic, an area more likey to lead to claims, damage to vehicles, etc., received a lower priority to repair than an exclusive estate with hardly any traffic during the day whatsoever? I wonder how many council leaders, snivel serpents, people of influence live there rather than Hall Road?”
by AdPotentia
Thursday, March 21 2013, 11:03AM
“If you spot a pothole report it in http://tinyurl.com/d4p95ey - This automatically reports it to the council BUT more importantly puts it in the public domain and adds it to the council rankings for services.
Nigel Leighton is a little absent minded when it comes to budgets - remember £2.65 million is being taken out of the maintenance budget on Beverlaays Saturday Market - this is accounted for twice and includes nicking a bit of budget from last this years budget.
Surface dressing is ERYC speak for covering over the bumps with chippings - it doesn't last more than a year before the road starts lifting - it just makes it look as though the Highways dept. are doing something.
Since 1996 ERYC's highways department (during the CEO Darryl Stephenson) neglected the roads completely - How strange a similar situation is happening in Hull, who is their CEO again?”