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Pothole damage sees business increase for garage

JOZEF HALL/BBC Alan Piggott smiles at the camera as he is photographed in his garage. A black car is risen on a platform behind him and he is standing next to a row of hanging alloy wheels. He is wearing a black polo neck and has a beard. JOZEF HALL/BBC
Alan Piggott says the damage to customers' cars caused by potholes is "next level"

A company that specialises in fixing cars damaged by potholes said business had never been better.

Ace Finish, in Godmanchester, Huntingdon, said it had seen cars with cracked wheels quadruple over the last three years.

Alan Piggott, who owns the company, has described the condition of roads across Cambridgeshire as "truly shocking".

Cambridgeshire County Council said: "We are investing an extra £43m over this year and next year into our highways, including delivering improvements which both repair and prevent potholes."

JOZEF HALL/BBC David Linforth stands in front of a machine that fixes buckled alloy wheels. He has his back to the camera and faces the machine, he is wearing a grey T-shirt and silver chain. His arm is outstretched towards the control board. JOZEF HALL/BBC
David Linforth, 28, can repair more than 40 pothole damaged wheels per day

Mr Piggott, 46, founded Ace Finish 12 years ago.

He said: "We started out as a bodyshop, but saw there was a need for alloy wheel refurbishment. So we dabbled a bit at first, but now it's completely taken over the business."

He added that was all because of potholes. "Potholes means cracked wheels. Replacement tyres. That's our bread and butter now.

"In the last three years, we've seen the volume of cracks in wheels - which in itself is an MOT failure - quadruple."

JOZEF HALL/BBC A customer reaches into his boot to lift a damaged alloy wheel. He is wearing a dark cap and jumper and beige trousers. The car is grey and there is brown paper in the boot between the alloy and the car's interior. JOZEF HALL/BBC
Ace Finish says it has seen cars with cracked wheels quadruple over the last three years

"In 2022, we had 730 customers with buckled wheels. That number went up to 1,090 in 2023. But this year we've already done 1,250 buckled wheel jobs. And we still have over three months of the year left," Mr Piggot said.

Mr Piggott said that although this presented good business, there should not be a reliance on firms like his.

"The state of our roads right now is truly shocking. The damage we are seeing on our customers' cars, on a daily basis, is next level."

JOZEF HALL/BBC Keiran Thomas strips old alloy wheels. He is photographed from the side and he is wearing a green apron and black T-shirt and is working in a garage. JOZEF HALL/BBC
Cambridgeshire County Council says that between 2019-23, on average 57,325 potholes were fixed annually

Cambridgeshire County Council, who have responsibility for the county's roads, provided statistics from 2019-23. These showed that during this period the average number of potholes fixed annually was 57,325. Last year 66,583 potholes were fixed.

The number of claims against the council for damage caused by potholes more than tripled last year, with the figure rising from 600 in 2022 to 2,023 in 2023.

JOZEF HALL/BBC A row of painted silver alloy wheels, hung up in a garage workspace. JOZEF HALL/BBC
Ace Finish says it has already fixed more than 1,200 alloys damaged by potholes this year

In a statement, Cambridgeshire County Council said: "It is important that each claim we receive is assessed on their own merits, as we’re dealing with taxpayers’ money.

"As a general rule, the council is liable for compensation when we have failed to meet specific duties as set out in the Highways Act around maintaining the public highway.

"We know how important our roads are which is why we identify defects and repair them as quickly as we can. We’re investing an extra £43m over this year and next year into our highways, this includes delivering improvements which both repair and prevent potholes."

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