Snow and big freeze leaves London with a £100m repair bill

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Experts say that fixing potholes and other snow damage could cost London councils as much as an additional £20million to their annual £80million budget.

At the same time London's councils face a 25 per cent squeeze on government grants earmarked for repairing roads.

Motoring organisations said thousands of unfixed potholes posed a threat to drivers and cyclists.

Highways teams have been dispatched across the capital to fix the unprecedented number of potholes created by the big freeze and some councils have set up "pothole hotlines".

Martin Low, president of the Local Government Technical Advisers' Group, and city commissioner of transportation for Westminster council, said: "A sizeable chunk of councils' transport budgets this year will need to service the extensive damage to the road network as a result of the severe weather."

Sutton council is one of the worst hit and put its estimated bill for repairs at £3million.

Harrow council said damage caused by the cold snap would cost the taxpayer up to £2million.

Meanwhile, Richmond council said it has asked residents to report dangerous potholes so that they can be filled in as soon as possible.

The Local Government Association has written to the Department for Transport asking for £100million to be brought forward to pay for the damage caused by the cold.

The potential cuts to transport funding are expected after April for the 2010/2011 financial year.

Chris Chope MP, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on highway maintenance, criticised the cut but said councils needed to focus on spending their grants wisely.

He said: "A lot of councils are actually underspending their maintenance budgets." Motoring organisations today called on the Government to do more to help councils avoid a wave of pothole-related road accidents.

The AA's president, Edmund King, said: "In London the potential dangers are greater because there are more people on scooters and bicycles."

The cost to motorists is estimated at £30million, with AA Insurance reporting a four-fold increase in claims for pothole-related damage compared to the same period last year.

The Cyclists' Touring Club said it has been inundated with reports of unfixed potholes across the capital. Members have reported thousands of unfixed potholes on its dedicated website, fillthathole.org.uk.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Councils can apply for emergency funding as a result of the recent severe weather and any such applications will be considered fully on their own merit."