POTHOLE repairs have cost Caerphilly County Borough Council more than £6 million in the past decade.

Since 2013, some 7,335 potholes have been reported across the borough.

The council has spent £6.47 million on repairs in that time - including more than £450,000 so far this year.

The figures were published by the council in August 2023 in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The bulk of the £6.47 million spent on repairs was on potholes reported by Caerphilly’s own highways department, so would not have been included in the publicly-reported 7,335 incidents, the council said.

The figures published by the council also included compensation payouts for pothole damage.

Some 530 claims have been filed with the local authority since 2013, but fewer than one in six (82 claims) were successful.

The council has paid out more than £70,000 in total to those claimants, working out at an average payout of £856.

“Potholes and other defects in the carriageway are caused by a variety of reasons, but are particularly problematic following periods of cold winter weather,” a spokesperson for Caerphilly County Borough Council said. 

“The council works hard to address such defects thanks to its responsive repair programme and we will continue to invest in improving our highway network for the travelling public.”

Potholes and damaged pavements can be reported via Caerphilly County Borough Council’s website.

How do Caerphilly’s figures compare with others in the Gwent area?

Some councils did not hold the same information as Caerphilly, but their Freedom of Information Act responses revealed that:

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council has received 6,471 pothole complaints since 2015, spending more than £7.4 million on repairs.

The council has settled 14 compensation claims since 2013, paying out £2,638 (an average payout of £188).

Monmouthshire County Council data was not available at the time of publication.

Newport City Council has received 3,611 pothole complaints since 2017, spending more than £2.5 million on repairs.

The council has settled 85 compensation claims since 2013, paying out £26,612 (an average payout of £313).

Torfaen County Borough Council received 6,634 pothole complaints between 2013 and 2022, spending more than £9.2 million on general road repairs in that time. 

The council has settled 26 compensation claims in that same timeframe, paying out £4,010 (an average payout of £154).