Man in dispute with council over £40 pothole damage

Alderney resident Paul Singleton was travelling back from Tower Park in January when his wife’s Mazda 3 struck a hole in Mannings Heath Road near Ling Road. 

The retired fireman said there was a “hell of a bang” leading him to buy a replacement tyre from a nearby garage for £40. 

Since then, Paul has been in an ongoing dispute with BCP Council, whose insurers dismissed Paul’s claim for £40 “because the road is checked on a quarterly basis”. 

The car's tyre was replaced with a £40 second hand one (Image: Daily Echo)

'If a cyclist went into it they would’ve had serious injuries' (Image: Daily Echo)

Paul said: “I went to get the tyre replaced, it cost £40 from Trent and it was second hand – I wasn’t claiming for a brand-new tyre – I took photographs, did everything that was necessary. 

“And I then contacted BCP Council the following Monday who passed me onto their insurance people at Zurich who wanted to know the ins and outs of a duck’s behind. 

“Eventually, they said I wasn’t liable because the council had already inspected the pothole. I put it on the local logging pages and several people said they just avoided that pothole, too. 

“If a cyclist went into it they would’ve had serious injuries, so unless you have serious injuries BCP Council is not interested.” 

The 73-year-old went back to the road the following week after the claim had been reported only to find cones were put around the pothole. 

A different pothole in Mannings Heath Road at the junction with Ling Road (Image: Daily Echo)

“Obviously they were aware that it was dangerous or they wouldn’t have done that,” he added, “and then they considered it serious enough to get it repaired as quickly as possible 

“And yet they say they’re not liable – ridiculous.  

“The council says it has no money left, it can’t pay £40 for damage it has done to my car from the pothole, yet they can build all these cycle lanes that nobody uses.” 

Paul, along with his wife Dawn, said they are “forensic, check everything, spent months on the claim, went through hoops” only to end up feeling “dismissed” by the authority and its insurers. 

Cabinet member for the environment Andy Hadley said he and BCP Council is unable to comment on individual insurance cases.

He said: “Given the council’s stewardship of public funds, it is necessary to have an independent system that regulates what insurance payments are made.

“We have an appointed claims handler, and we are unable to act separately and contrary to their advice or accept responsibility for accidents where a legal liability has not been demonstrated.

Andy Hadley, cabinet member for the environment (Image: Daily Echo)

“We are responsible for maintaining over 1,250km (780 miles) of roads and pavements across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

"Each year we operate an annual highway maintenance programme. This is determined by independent condition surveys, technical officer assessments carried out throughout the year and feedback from residents.

"In addition, we will always investigate any damage reports to our highways. This enables us to assess and prioritise repairs, ensuring our roads remain in a serviceable and safe condition.’

“The council is responsible for maintaining a reasonable system of inspection and repair to support the upkeep of the highways network.

"The council can only be found liable for damage to a vehicle if we have failed in this responsibility.

"We regularly inspect the roads for defects, but potholes will sometimes form, and this is why we encourage the public to report potholes they see to us as soon as possible.”