Letter: SCC’s Pothole Repair System Is Broken

Published on: 16 Jul, 2024
Updated on: 16 Jul, 2024

A Guildford pothole (stock image)

From: Roger Main

In response to: Only 10 per cent of Pothole Claims Paid Out by Surrey County Council

Please allow me to share my personal comment on Surrey County Council’s handling of potholes.

My house backs on to the A25 leading into Dorking. I reported via the Surrey County Council website numerous potholes; over ten between Dorking and Guildford. They were duly recorded and a reference number issued. I received a reply confirming my complaint had been logged.

A week later I received a reply telling me they were not dangerous and no action would be taken.

I duly appealed and at great risk took photos of the offending pot holes. I was allocated an inspector to investigate my appeal. Several weeks later I was told that repair was not necessary under the council’s safety policy and no action was taken. (Please note that the policy for size and depth is different from authority to authority across the UK.)

I left it for several weeks and resubmitted the same complaint with photos of the same said pot holes. Again a reference number was issued, weeks of delay followed, then a red line appeared around one pot hole.

SCC sent a team of four men out and filled in just the single hole!

The system is broken. The county council has been given millions by central Government to repair our potholes in the county but it is failing, as it is, as the article explains in the delay of paying out claims.

They have the money. I strongly suggest they get on with the job.

Responses to Letter: SCC’s Pothole Repair System Is Broken

Bob Cowell Reply

July 18, 2024 at 8:58 am

I am told that county inspectors check work after it is done but I have my doubts.
James Waterson Reply

August 6, 2024 at 10:00 am

Having had to go through the most tortuous process for some 14 months to get reimbursed for pothole damage, during which SCC were downright dishonest (claiming the hole hadn’t been reported when a ton of on-line evidence showed in had – multiple times) and tried every trick in the book to avoid paying out, I completely concur that the system is broken.

Having claimed to have fixed a pothole in my road five times when no work was actually done, they then refused to disclose why under a Freedom of Information Request on the grounds of “commercial confidentiality”. SCC’s performance over this issue absolutely stinks.