'There is no bottomless pit' of money to pay for the UK's pothole problem, says Rishi Sunak

The AA said drivers are footing the bill for crumbling roads in the UK as pothole damage payments from struggling councils dry up. Photo: Paul Cooper

Rishi Sunak has been criticized for his failure to tackle the country's pothole problem as he said there was no «bottomless pit» of money to pay for fixing them.

The Prime Minister insisted that the amount of money spent on this issue has been growing, thanks in part to the scrapping of the northern link of HS2.

But John Hart, the Conservative leader of Devon County Council, said it was «a drop in the bucket».

He told the BBC: «The Government know they have a problem.»

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“We've been given an extra £6.6 million this year, but that's just a drop in the ocean. Last year they gave us £9.5 million, and I hate to say it, but £7 million of that went to inflation.

“We have a backlog that is getting bigger. because we can't handle what we do.» I have it.

Mr Sunak, seen here at the Plymouth submarine plant, said Devon would receive more funding. Photo: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Mr Sunak, visiting the South West, admitted potholes would be an «important» area in the next general election.

“I think the numbers I've seen show that the numbers are growing. next year,» he said, with Devon receiving £13 million in government savings for HS2.

«And that's why we have to get our priorities and decisions right. Obviously, I think everyone knows there is no bottomless pit for these things.

“Most of this money went to road maintenance, road repairs, pothole repair funds.

«Devon will actually receive more funding from the coming financial year as a result of HS2's decision to tackle potholes.»

Mr Hart continued: “We have a backlog that is getting larger and larger. because we can't cope with what we have.»

Last week the AA said drivers were footing the bill for Britain's crumbling roads as pothole damage payments from struggling councils dried up.

Motorists are forced to turn to insurers to cover the cost of vehicle damage caused by potholes. , as local authorities increasingly fail to pay compensation to motorists.

As accident reports of pothole damage hit a five-year high, car insurance premiums in turn rose to record levels, said the AA's Edmund King.

Drivers may face claims against local authorities for pothole damage, but new analysis of official data published last month shows funding has fallen significantly.

Between 2019 and 2023, money paid to compensate drivers for damage caused by potholes, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, fell by more than half, from £3.7 million to £1.7 million in 85 councils.

This is despite claims rising by 70 per cent between 2021 and 2023.< /p>

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Decades of underinvestment to our local roads has resulted in many of them looking more like the surface of the moon than 21st century highways.

«The only way we can find a way out of this mess is if the government increases its long-term spending on these critical national assets.

“We know there is additional funding coming from the canceled northern section of HS2, but it is still not enough to reverse years of neglect. The longer the country's roads continue to deteriorate, the higher the bill will eventually become.»