Surrey County Council spent more than £50 million on pothole repairs over the past three years, as compensation claims for damage caused by road craters have more than doubled in the same period.

An investigation by Accident Claims Advice (ACA) has revealed that claims against the council have risen by 106 percent since 2021, reflecting the worsening state of Britain’s roads amid a nationwide pothole crisis.

In addition to repair costs, the council has paid out a further £230,000 in compensation, with figures obtained by the ACA through Freedom of Information requests showing 5,666 claims were lodged over the past three years.

The number of claims jumped from 735 in 2022 to 1,513 in 2023. In 2024, the council settled a record 489 claims, paying out more than £188,000 in compensation.

This figures were revealed as national data shows a record number of roads are being left in disrepair, with 82 percent of local roads flagged for maintenance in 2023 going unaddressed, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).

ACA Public Liability specialist Beverly Faulkner stressed the importance of road maintenance, stating: “Councils and local authorities have a duty of care to ensure the safety of people using public spaces, such as parks, highways and footpaths.

“A crucial part of this is making sure the land under their control is properly maintained. Failing to do this can put people at risk.

“The damage caused by potholes can be catastrophic leading to serious injury and/or costly vehicle damage. It is vital that roads are properly maintained. and councils are held responsible for the roads they maintain.”

Across Britain, pothole-ridden minor roads have fallen to their worst condition on record.

Highlighting the issue, Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The number of cars is increasing, traffic volume is increasing, the number of potholes is increasing, the only thing not increasing seems to be the amount of money being spent on maintaining our local roads, which everyone in the country relies on whether they drive or not.”

Surrey County Council’s spending on pothole repairs has risen annually, from £15 million in 2021/22 to £21 million in 2023/24.

In an effort to address the crisis, the UK Treasury announced in October that total local road maintenance funding for 2025/26 will reach nearly £1.6 billion—a £500 million increase compared to the previous year. More than £378 million has been allocated specifically for local authorities in the South East and London.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the impact of poor road conditions, stating in December: “Broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs. That’s a cost that can easily be avoided by investing properly in our roads.

“That’s why we’re giving councils funding to repair our roads and get Britain moving again, with a clear expectation that they get on with the job.”

Cllr Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth, insisted the authority was taking the issue seriously.

He said the county some of the UK’s busiest roads but the council was working to improve with nearly £300 million allocated to repairing and improving roads and pavements over the next five years.

He said the council was also using AI technology to locate broken roads and repair them as quickly as possible.