Pothole payout row in North Lanarkshire Council after low rates of compensation are laid bare

Startling figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives, via a Freedom of Information request to Scotland’s councils, show that just 17.1% of pothole claims were paid out in 2021-22 by the council.

This was significantly lower than those recorded in 2019-20 (24.07%) and 2020-21 (30.5%).

As a result, on average just 23.89% of requests were paid out to Lanarkshire residents in the last three years.

Across Scotland, only one in six claims for damage caused by potholes were compensated in Scotland this year.

The statistics in North Lanarkshire come on the back of years of SNP funding cuts to local authority budgets, a trend continued in John Swinney’s most recent budget.

The Scottish Conservatives have stated that they are committed to a fair funding deal for Scotland’s councils.

In May’s local authority elections, they called for the introduction of Pothole Action Funds, giving communities the right to demand repairs to local roads.

Shadow Transport Minister Graham Simpson said: “The dire condition of Lanarkshire’s roads is an extremely serious issue.

"Far too many routes across the region are scarred with potholes which damage vehicles and can lead to crashes.

“By imposing years of systematic and continued budget cuts, Nicola Sturgeon’s government are starving councils like North Lanarkshire of the cash needed either to carry out essentials repairs or to compensate drivers affected by their failure to do so.

"The SNP must act now and commit to establishing Pothole Action Funds, which the Scottish Conservatives called for last year.”

“However, John Swinney’s recent budget reaffirmed that local government services are simply not a priority for ministers, who continue to impose unsustainable funding cuts on councils.”

The Motherwell Times has asked NCL for comment on this story but had not received a response by our deadline.