More than £4 million paid out for pothole damage since 2019

Scottish Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP has today revealed the dire state of Scotland’s roads and the pressures facing local authorities after research by his party found that councils have paid out more than £4 million in pothole claims since 2019.

Scottish Liberal Democrats sent a freedom of information request to all 32 local authorities asking for the total compensation paid out for pothole claims in every year since 2019/20.

Of those that responded, the party uncovered that £4,265,007.54 has been paid out over the past four years. In that period, the annual figures have increased from £676,932 in 2019/20 to £870,228.92 in 2023/24.

In 2023/24 alone, Dumfries & Galloway Council paid out a staggering £326,000 in pothole compensation, while Glasgow paid out almost £200,000. In the same year, Borders, Midlothian and South Lanarkshire all paid out more than £62,000.

The FOI request also asked for the longest time taken to repair a pothole. Figures showed that in 2023/24, Moray recorded the longest period of waiting (857 days) and Falkirk recorded the next longest (475 days).

Mr Rennie said:

“Under this SNP government, potholes have become a plague on our roads; it’s a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.

“As well as causing property damage and personal injury for motorists, it also means that cash-strapped councils are having to shell out millions of pounds in payouts.

“For many years, the SNP have slashed funding for local authorities and left communities to muddle through. Despite payouts for potholes rising year on year, the SNP haven’t shown any sign of changing course and finally supporting councils.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out plans to fix Scotland’s crumbling infrastructure, including cavernous potholes. That starts by better supporting local authorities and giving them the fair deal they deserve.”