Somerset residents are facing repair bills of up to £800 due to worsening potholes, claims Councillor Lucy Trimnell.
Speaking at the Executive Council meeting, Councillor Trimnell highlighted growing concern in Wincanton and Bruton, where residents report spending between £200 and £800 on tyres, wheels and suspension repairs after encountering damaged road surfaces.
She pointed to the A359 between Bruton and Nunney as being in particularly poor condition, with some drivers now avoiding the road altogether because they believe it is unsafe.
Pothole Dangers
Councillor Trimnell challenged the Council on its approach to repairs, asking whether it would be more cost-effective to fix all potholes in a stretch of road rather than addressing them individually. Residents have told her they report multiple defects, only for one to be repaired while others remain.
She also raised concerns that reports of dangerous surfaces are sometimes assessed as not meeting intervention levels, despite drivers feeling the roads present a serious risk. In addition, she questioned why many repairs appear to fail within weeks or months and whether quality control checks are carried out to ensure long-term durability.
Vehicle Damage Claims
With motorists facing substantial costs, Councillor Trimnell asked what proportion of vehicle damage claims are successful and how they are assessed, including whether there is a dedicated budget for compensation.
In a direct challenge to the Council’s transport leadership, she invited the Lead Member for Transport and Waste Services to visit the area and see conditions firsthand.
Questioning Inspection Regimes
Residents across Somerset have increasingly voiced frustration about the state of rural and town roads alike. Reports suggest confusion when mapping defects in rural areas, and complaints that marked potholes are sometimes not repaired before weather erases the markings.
Councillor Trimnell said the number of defects in some areas now exceeds what residents have time to report individually, raising wider questions about inspection regimes and maintenance strategy.
