Newport City Council has paid out more than £15,000 in the last two years to drivers over the state of its roads. The council paid the out compensation to residents who claimed over damage from potholes and other road issues.
Figures obtained following a freedom of information request showed the amount paid out to residents jumped hugely between 2021 and 2023. In 2021-22 the council paid out £3,094.55 but this jumped to £12,025.94 a year later in 2022/23 – an increase of £8,931.39.
It comes after the council warned last year of reduced public services due to a huge budget gap. At the time council leader Jane Mudd said soaring energy costs, higher demand for care services, and more children in schools meant it was "unlikely that any service will be delivered as they are currently". It later approved new measures in April including an 8.5% council tax increase and a move to three-weekly bin collections.
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In 2021-22 a total of 30 claims were submitted to the council relating to personal injury or vehicle damage caused by potholes or road surface damage and 16 claims were paid out. The number of claims rose in 2022-23 when 59 claims were submitted with 21 claims being paid out. The biggest single payout was £5,694.48 due to a missing manhole cover which caused damage to the chassis of a vehicle.
Overall 2,031 cases were logged to Newport City Council over the last two years relating to reports of potholes and road surface damage. Over the last two years 1,710 cases related to Newport’s roadways with 321 cases relating to footpaths. Of those 716 cases relating to Newport’s roadways were logged in 2021-22 versus 994 a year later in 2022-23. This represents an increase of 278 cases or reports.
Local resident and Newport Conservatives campaigner Michael Enea said he had flagged several dangerous potholes in Malpas Road earlier in the year. "The statistics from the latest FOI clearly shows an increase in the number of potholes on Newport’s roads over the two last years," he said. "Almost 1,000 were logged during the last financial year.
“The council seriously needs to change its approach and adopt a more proactive strategy whereby fully relaying our roads rather than undertaking shoddy patchwork repairs with infilled potholes." Newport City Council declined to comment on the figures.
