A Valleys council did not have to pay out anything in highways insurance claims last year. In 2023-24, Merthyr Tydfil Council received 13 highway insurance claims but all were rejected, resulting in no cost to the council. During the last year, a total of 2,788 highways inspections were carried out on the adopted highway, which saw an increase of 153 inspections compared to 2022-23, attributed to the rise in the number of roads adopted in 2023-24.
Council figures for 2023-24 also indicate that all inspections were completed within service standard timescales, consistent with the previous year. Failure to complete the highways inspections within the relevant timescales could potentially lead to the council having to pay out on third-party claims. Additionally, in 2023-24, there were 35 fewer customer complaints received compared to 2022-23, although the number of complaints completed marginally fell due to an increase in complaints from vegetation obstruction.
The report highlighted that addressing vegetation obstruction complaints could be time-consuming due to ecological issues, land ownership identification, issuing of letters, serving notices, and arranging necessary works. Furthermore, 1,781 street works site inspections were conducted in 2023-24, generating a total of £170,866 in income, an increase of £63,951.50 compared to 2022-23, with the income reinvested back into the service.
The council completed 4.49km of resurfacing works in 2023-24, including 1.21 km of micro-asphalt surfacing and 3.84km of renewed footways. The report noted that the highways network was undergoing managed deterioration, with a decrease in completed highway treatments from 12km in previous years to 6km in 2023-24.
In the previous year (2022-23), when there were 12 highways insurance claims, all were rejected, resulting in no payouts. During that period, a total of 2,635 highways inspections were conducted, with 32 more inspections than the previous year due to the adoption of new roads in 2021-22. To receive the latest Merthyr Tydfil news, sign up for the newsletter on Wales Online.
The report containing the figures is scheduled to be presented before the council’s neighbourhood services, countryside, and planning scrutiny committee on Monday, October 21.