Council denies liability for pothole damage
UGCA council says it is not liable for damage caused to vehicles by a problematic pothole in its region and is refusing to compensate drivers.
Redcar and Cleveland Council filled in the 10cm (4") pothole on Margrove Road, in the village of Margrove Park, three days after its discovery earlier this year, with drainage issues preventing an immediate repair as standing water needed to be cleared first.
A number of motorists, who said their tyres were damaged when driving over the pothole, have criticised the time it took the council to act and the measures - a single cone - put in place to direct traffic around the hole.
The council said has it acted reasonably and followed national guidelines.
One woman who contacted the Local Democracy Reporting Service said she attempted to claim for a new tyre costing £49, but was told by the council's insurers they had been advised not to accept any claims.
She said: "It was dark and the pothole just looked like a puddle.
"I think this pothole should have been marked properly and a warning sign put up, not just the one cone that had been hit many times and was in the bushes."
UGCThe council acknowledged vehicle damage could be "frustrating" and confirmed it had received eight compensation claims in relation to the pothole.
In a statement, the authority said: "While we appreciate some residents may be disappointed, the council can only accept liability where it can be demonstrated that we failed to take reasonable steps to identify and address defects.
"In this case, we are satisfied that appropriate inspections and actions were carried out in line with national guidelines."
Problem potholes, particularly in the East Cleveland area, have been the subject of debate at full council meetings.
In March, Labour cabinet member for highways and transport Carl Quartermain said: "Thousands of repairs are carried out each year. That's a small highways team working in all weathers every week to maintain more than 700km of roads."
