New data shows city pothole hotspots

COUNCIL PAYS OUT THOUSANDS OF POUNDS IN COMPENSATION

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

PLYMOUTH'S Budshead Road is the city's pothole hotspot as it emerges the council has forked out thousands of pounds in compensation for damage caused by potholes.

Newly released figures show Plymouth City Council has paid more than £25,000 to residents impacted by pothole damage since 2022, with hundreds of claims illustrating the ongoing pressure on the city's road network.

Data provided by Personal Injury Claims UK, from Freedom of Information Act requests to Plymouth City Council, confirms 163 pothole-related claims were submitted to the council over the past three years.

The busiest year for claims was 2023/24, when 70 were lodged. But, the highest annual payout occurred in 2022/23, with compensation totalling £19,580.

As of August 15, 2025, Plymouth City Council had 186 unrepaired potholes on its books. Budshead Road was the most severely affected location, with 24 outstanding defects recorded. Next was Staddiscombe Road with 11 potholes. Chatsworth Gardens had nine and Plymbridge Road had eight.

Plymouth City Council's pothole repair expenditure was as high as £746,310 in 2023/24 and £616,653 in 2024/25.

The authority told