Over 8,000 recorded in the area over the last three years

Popes Lane. Picture: Google Streetview

March 31, 2021

Ealing has ranked the biggest hotspot for potholes in the capital with more than 8,000 recorded in the last three years.

Freedom of Information requests to more than 20 London borough councils by GoCompare Car revealed the West London authority topped the chart with 8,850 potholes in 2018 to 2020.

Sutton in South London followed second with 7,675 in the same period, while neighbouring Brent recorded 5,492 in third place.

Meanwhile, Hammersmith and Fulham reported the lowest number of potholes at 141.

According to the figures, London’s councils spent a total of £17.9 million on fixing potholes in 2020.

Ranked on spending, Ealing came seventh on how much cash it splashed out on repairing the damaged hotspots at £1.1 million, while Havering spent the most at £3m.

Across the capital, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Waltham and Sutton were flagged as the fastest to fix potholes – an average of just one day – between when it was reported and repaired.

Ealing however did not fall far behind at an average of 1.3 days to fix them between 2018 to 2020.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Hillingdon and Hounslow took on average 28 days to repair potholes after they had been reported.

Ealing paid out £9,325.60 in the last three years to drivers as compensation due to poor state of the roads, ranked 11th behind Hillingdon and Hounslow who paid out £10,412.62 and £16,103.31 respectively.

Barnet however paid out the most to affected drivers with a total £98,148.60 in the three-year period.

According to research from the Asphalt Industry Alliance, the UK’s roads are only resurfaced every 85 years leading to a rise in potholes.

Anahita Hossein-Pour - Local Democracy Reporter