Potholed roads in Sheffield lead to £90,000 in compensation payouts

More than £90,000 in compensation has been paid out for damage caused to vehicles by potholes in Sheffield.
A pothole in Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield, pictured in 2016A pothole in Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield, pictured in 2016
A pothole in Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield, pictured in 2016

More than 330 successful claims were submitted for damage caused to cars, bikes and other vehicles by craters in the city's roads between August 20, 2012 and April 30 this year.

A total of £94,267 in compensation was awarded during this period, with an average payout of £284, a Freedom of Information request by The Star to Sheffield Council has revealed.

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Just under a third of the 1,005 claims made during that time proved successful, with 10 cases ongoing as of the end of April.

August 20, 2012 was the start date of the Streets Ahead programme, a 25-year, £2bn contract between Sheffield Council and contractor Amey to improve and maintain the city's roads and footpaths.

The number of successful claims initially rose from 75 in 2013, the first full year of the contract, to 87 in 2014.

But that figure subsequently fell to 72 last year and just seven in the first four months of this year.

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The biggest payout last year was £1,487 for damage to tyres and alloys in Halifax Road, Wadsley Bridge.

More than £750 in compensation was awarded to at least four other drivers during 2016, for damage to tyres and alloys, the suspension or the engine sump.

Sheffield Council said £1,380 had been spent contesting pothole compensation claims the Streets Ahead contract began.

The figure for pothole payouts pales in comparison to the £525,000 The Star revealed last week had been awarded to people falling on uneven pavements in Sheffield during the same period.

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