A STAGGERING increase in claims forms have been submitted to Flintshire Council to cover the cost of damage caused by potholes.

A freedom of information request (FOI) made by the Leader has revealed more than a 70 per cent increase in claims from 2017/18 than the previous year.

It also reveals a 63 per cent increase in pot hole reports made to the council this year, compared to 2015.

Last year, 129 claims forms were submitted to Flintshire Council by individual drivers - a boom compared to 2016/17 when only 38 claims were reported.

The high figure is 3 per cent more than the lowest year on record, 2014/15, when only 22 claims forms were filed throughout the year, which averages less than two reports a month.

In March this year, the Leader reported how motorists had poured scorn over a study conducted by the BBC’s shared data unit which claimed Flintshire had the lowest proportion of poor quality roads in Wales.

But there were cavities of doubt in the minds of motorists who said the condition of Flintshire's roads pose a "serious risk to public health" and were a "joke."

Danielle McIntyre, of Rhes Y Cae, believes the roads are "a patchwork quilt" and called on the council to allocate more funding to improve rural roads, as she felt they were "forgotten about."

Stewart Roberts, of Deeside, said there isn't a "half mile stretch of road anywhere without a pothole." His observation that the last few years have "seen serious deterioration of roads in north east Wales" coincide with findings from the FOI, which also revealed a 63 per cent increase in pot hole reports made to the council this year, compared to 2015.

Almost 300 potholes were reported across the whole of 2015, compared to almost 800 which were reported between January 2018 and April 2018 when the FOI was submitted.

According to the results, the worst areas - the most reported pot holes - have shifted over the past six years.

The worst in 2013 was Sandy Lane, Saltney, in 2014 it was Wood Lane, Hawarden, and Wepre Lane, Connah's Quay, was the most reported area in Flintshire in 2015.

The results deem that Flint was the worst town in latter years, with Chester Road the most reported in 2016 and Woodfield Avenue last year.

This year, the A5104 in Pontblyddyn has taken the worst hit, as the most reported pot-hole riddled road in Flintshire to date.

Steve Jones, chief officer Streetscene and Transportation said: "Due to the severe winter, with prolonged periods of cold weather, there has been an increase in the number of potholes on our highway network and additional resources have been allocated to carry out emergency repairs.

"Surveys and route inspections have now taken place across the entire network and we are currently programming our route treatment schemes to enable more permanent repairs with the benefit of additional funding secured for carriageway resurfacing from Welsh Government."