Revealed: Britain’s pothole capital where nearly 80% of roads need improvement…so how bad is your area?

• The Daily Mail is campaigning for an end to Britain’s pothole plague
•  It is costing drivers millions and putting cyclists at risk of injury or death

Bristol has been named England’s pothole capital – with nearly 80 per cent of roads requiring improvement.

Analysis of local authority data by Comparethemarket has mapped out which councils are falling behind the most on road repairs.

The Daily Mail is campaigning for an end to Britain’s pothole plague which is costing drivers millions and putting cyclists at risk of injury or death.

Councils are responsible for maintaining most roads within their areas, while National Highways handles motorways and major A Roads.

But the comparison site has revealed a pothole postcode lottery, with the proportion of well-maintained roads varying vastly across the country.

Analysis of local authority data by Comparethemarket has mapped out which councils are falling behind the most on road repairs

The Daily Mail is campaigning for an end to Britain’s pothole plague which is costing drivers millions and putting cyclists at risk of injury or death

Councils are responsible for maintaining most roads within their areas, while National Highways handles motorways and major A Roads

Bristol was found to have the highest proportion of run-down roads, with 78.5 per cent requiring work either immediately or in the near future.

However, current plans suggest just 0.4 per cent of the city’s road network would be strengthened, resurfaced or have a surface dressing treatment by the end of this month.

Blackburn with Darwen’s roads were the second worst in England, with 76 per cent requiring improvement.

And elsewhere in the North West, Cheshire West and Cheshire were ranked third for the most neglected roads – with 72 per cent in the area needing work.

Meanwhile the best-kept roads in the country were found in Redcar and Cleveland, where over 90 per cent are in good condition.

Industry stats suggest England and Wales’s pothole backlog would take nine years and cost more than £12billion to clear.

Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Comparethemarket, said: ‘Potholes are the bane of every driver’s life.

‘Not only are they a road safety hazard, they can also cause significant damage to your car if you hit one.’ Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at the RAC, said: ‘It can’t be right that council borders dictate whether a road is in good condition or not, yet this is what this research seems to suggest.

‘As councils struggle to balance the books as their budgets dwindle, it’s clear that in some parts of the country it’s the roads that lose out.’ Motorists with comprehensive car insurance can usually claim for pothole-related damages.

Local authorities also accept claims for compensation if a car is damaged by a pothole in their area.

However, there is no guarantee a claim will be successful.

A Bristol City Council spokesman said it would need more time to analyse the data, but added that an extra £2.5million would be put towards its pothole fund for the next financial year. 

Cllr David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: ‘There are many reasons for differences in the condition of local roads, including the age of the road network, weather impacts, how regularly it is used or if it is dug up by utility companies.

‘Current funding levels are already insufficient and with the impacts of inflation will lead to a worsening of roads.’

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