ONLY nine compensation claims were paid out by the county council despite nearly 200 being received by motorists in Andover Town.

A freedom of information request (FOI) submitted to Hampshire County Council by the Advertiser revealed the amount of pothole compensation claims received by the authority in each year from 2020 to 2022. 

The FOI also included information on how many compensation claims were paid out and rejected within the three-year period, and how much money he council paid out on these claims.

READ MORE: Meet the family-run business serving fresh coffee from a vintage horse box

The data is only for roads actually in Andover town, and do not include compensation claims received, rejected or paid out from across the Test Valley borough.

From 2020 to 2022, 54 compensation claims were made, but just nine of these (around 16 per cent) were paid out across the three-year period. Five claims were paid in 2021, with two claims paid in both 2020 and 2022.

SEE ALSO: See how many reports of potholes were made in Andover town

Eleven claims were made throughout 2022, with 21 claims made in 2021 and 22 in 2020, and of the 54 claims received by Hampshire County Council, 30 were rejected, with the most claims being rejected in 2021 (16). Seven claims were rejected in both 2022 and 2020.

Around £900 has been paid out in pothole-inflicted compensation claims from 2020 and 2022, with £215 paid out in 2020, £517 in 2021 and £165 in 2022.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: "The differential in the figures between the number of claims received and those paid out or rejected is due to a number of factors, including some claims not being fully completed and submitted for processing. 

"When an incomplete claim is submitted further information may be requested from a claimant, if this is not provided then the Council is unable to proceed with processing the claim.

"In addition, not all claims fall under the jurisdiction of the County Council.  Where this is the case, they are passed on to relevant third parties."