West Berkshire Council has announced that they have shelled out a staggering £4 million in pothole repairs since 2020 as damaged roads continue to take their toll on drivers.

The maintenance of roads is a vital priority that protects both the safety of drivers and their vehicles.

This means that in many boroughs, the commitment to road maintenance goes beyond fixing a pothole when it appears. West Berkshire in particular has said that they proactively target deteriorating roadways to prevent future hazardous potholes.

Despite facing a major financial crisis and an estimated funding gap of £4bn in the next two years, road maintenance is expected to stay a priority for many authorities and their community.

After submitting FOI requests to UK councils, legalexpert.co.uk found that West Berkshire Council was among the top authorities to spend massive amounts on fixing potholes.

A total of £1,012,045 was spent on potholes in the year 2020/21, followed by £956,662 in 2021/22, then £1,040,885.61 in 2022/23. Between 2023 and January 2024, £1,343,511 was spent on pothole repairs.

This amounts to an eye-watering £4,353,203.61 since 2020.

According to a spokesperson from West Berkshire Council, weather-related factors contribute to an increase in road defects during this time of year.

The council said: “These figures accurately represent our commitment to road maintenance but goes beyond the routine filling of potholes. In order to carry out road maintenance, we, like many other authorities, bid for national Government funding from the Department for Transport to help with essential highways maintenance as our budget alone would not be able to cover the expenditure.

Potholes and poor road maintenance equates to 80 breakdowns a day – for faults including broken suspension springs, damaged shock absorbers and distorted wheels.

As of January 2024, there are currently 217 unrepaired potholes in Berkshire which RAC says is a “serious danger” to all road users. 

The automotive company revealed it attended a record number of pothole-hole-related repairs in 2023 - the highest recorded figures in seven years between October and December.

What’s more the problem is likely to get worse as we head into ‘pothole season’ between January and March.

RAC head of policy, Simon Williams said: “Local councils have been cash-strapped for years due to lower road maintenance budgets, causing roads across the country to fall into disrepair and leaving drivers fighting for compensation when their vehicles are inevitably damaged.”

LegalExpert’s investigation revealed that West Berkshire Council has paid out a total of £11,295.76 in compensation and legal fees relating to vehicle damage caused by potholes since January 2022.