Nine in 10 pothole damage claims are rejected by local councils, new figures have suggested. The data comes from a Freedom of Information request shows drivers received close to £20m in payouts during 2025, representing an increase of 30 per cent compared to 2024.

However, half of the authorises surveyed rejected over seven out of every 10 applications, says Birmingham Live.

Members of the authority for Netherton and Holly Hall in the West Midlands found around 120 potholes on their streets and say it’s time for a permanent solution.

Cllrs Qasim Mughal and Shaneila Mughal said their survey showed the council is failing to get on top of the pothole problem and have submitted their map to council leaders as proof.

The Labour councillors said:

“We are fed up of reporting potholes only to see them ignored or patched up badly. Dudley Council has the funding, but not the will to fix our roads properly. Residents deserve safe streets, not endless excuses.”

Dudley Council says it repaired more than 25,000 square metres of road in 2025 and faced tough conditions at the start of 2026 following prolonged heavy rain.

Cllr Simon Phipps, Dudley cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said:

“This is a national issue that councils up and down the country are having to deal with, not just here in Dudley, but that hasn’t stopped our team getting out there to carry out repairs.

“They are working in all weathers and even overnight to prioritise and repair the most dangerous potholes.

“We also have a long-term programme to try and improve the overall state of the roads right across the borough that we have put more money into over the last few years, moving away from short-term fixes that were the only thing the council did ten years ago.”

(Picture: Magnific, formerly Freepik)