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The Pothole Plague continues and Bristol is the worst affected city in England
15 March 2023
Insurance comparison website Comparethemarket has named Bristol the ‘pothole capital’ of England after analysing local authority data to map out which council authorities are falling behind the most on road repairs.
According to the analysis, the top ten most pothole-riddled cities are:
1.City of Bristol
2.Blackburn with Darwen
3.Cheshire West & Cheshire
4.Derbyshire
5.Knowsley
6.Southend-on-Sea
7.Blackpool
8.Stockport
9.Reading
10.Devon
It was discovered that 78.5 per cent of roads in Bristol currently require urgent work to repair road surface damage, but council plans suggest that just 0.4 per cent of Bristol’s road network will be strengthened, resurfaced or have a surface dressing treatment by the end of March 2023.
Data also shows that 76 per cent or roads in Blackburn with Darwen and 72 per cent of roads in North West, Cheshire West and Cheshire require repairs.
On a more positive note, it was simultaneously discovered 90 per cent of roads in Redcar and Cleveland are pothole-free, making them the best-kept roads in England.
It is currently estimated that it would take nine years and over £12billion in funding to clear the ‘pothole backlog’ in England and Wales.
Aside from being visually unattractive, road surface disrepair presents a safety hazard which can cause significant damage to a vehicle if it falls into a pothole.
Whilst most local authorities do accept claims for compensation if a car is damaged by a pothole in their area, there is no guarantee that a claim will be successful, and the driver will receive a payout.
In response to the findings, a spokesperson for Bristol City Council said that an extra £2.5million will be put towards its pothole fund for the next financial year.
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If you would like to find out more about how you could benefit from our all-inclusive fleet management offering, please get in touch with our friendly team of experts by emailing info@marshall-leasing.co.uk or calling 01480 414541. We will be delighted to assist.
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