By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
A Cheltenham man is taking his local council to court seeking just over £600 in compensation for pothole damage to two of his car’s tyres.
David Tennant, who lives in Charlton Kings, said he was driving along Moorend Park Road on January 19 last year when both nearside tyres were “terminally damaged”.
Gloucestershire County Council denied liability and Dr Tennant is now seeking compensation by taking them to a small claims court.
“The road on which I was travelling is an urban road,” Dr Tennant said. “It had potholes extending from the verge into the carriageway.”
He said the type of carriageway deterioration is identical to that described as “edge deterioration” in the county council’s highway safety manual.
“The road was clearly in serious need of repair. Gloucestershire County Council disagree,” he said.
“I think that any Gloucestershire resident would recognise the appalling condition of most of Gloucestershire roads, and would agree with my point of view.
“I issued my claim by telephone call on January 26, 2024, and completed the official claim form they sent me on January 30. There has followed a long war of attrition
“I was advised that Gloucestershire County Council have a record of turning down the vast majority of pothole claims, and employ specialised solicitors in Birmingham to aggressively fight the claims.
“The County Council successfully challenged 98 per cent of claims in 2023. This, I understand, is a national record.”
Dr Tennant claims the “appalling state” of the county’s roads is what has caused damage to his tyres.
He also believes the County Council’s inspection regime is not fit for purpose.
He said: “I am particularly aggrieved that Gloucestershire County Council have spent large sums of public money, grossly in excess of the value of the claim for just over £600, presumably because they wish to maintain their 98% per cent record.”
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said they would not comment on Dr Tennant’s case but they are continuing to invest in the road network and they strive to maintain the highways to the best standards.
“We are aware of this case, however we are unable to comment any further due to ongoing legal proceedings.
“We always strive to maintain the network to the best standards and continue to invest in our road network throughout Gloucestershire. Residents can contact us about the highway network through the fix my street service at https://fixmystreet.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ ”