THE number of pothole complaints made by cyclists, or in relation to cycling, has risen steadily in Somerset since 2015.

Statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information Act suggest a rise in both the number of complaints and their proportion of the total number of pothole reports logged.

Somerset County Council has said that it is committed to promoting cycling, and that the figures do not necessarily mean that more cyclists are being put at risk on the roads.

This comes as the Taunton Area Cycling Campaign – which has lobbied for better cycling provision across the Taunton Deane district – prepares to inaugurate a new cycle route in the town.

The council was asked to provide statistics on the number of complaints or incident reports which had been logged about potholes – specifically those either made by cyclists or in relation to cycling.

The number of complaints rose from 81 in 2015 to 203 in 2017 – and 158 have been made in the first four months of 2018.

If these trends continue, the total number for 2018 could rise to 474 (based on the number reported in the first four months of the year, multiplied by three).

The number of cycling-related pothole complaints remains a relatively small percentage of the total number of pothole complaints logged with the council – but the proportion is rising, from 0.43 per cent in 2015 to 1.77 per cent in the first four months of 2018.

Between January 2017 and the end of April 2018, a total of 18 claims relating to cycling have been brought against the council – five regarding damage to a bicycle or related equipment, and 13 involving damage to the rider, including dental problems, “loss of limb” or death.

Not all these claims have finished being processed, but the council said that of those completed only one had been successful in either category.

The council said that its system for reporting potholes did not involve specifying whether the person involves was a cyclist or not, or whether they were the party affected by the pothole in question.

For example, a member of the public could report a pothole for its perceived danger to cyclists without being a cyclist themselves – or a cyclist could report a pothole without themselves having been injured or inconvenienced by it.

The council said that these statistics did not, therefore, directly suggest that more cyclists were getting injured on Somerset’s roads, and affirmed its commitment to encouraging and protecting cyclists.

A spokesman said: “While there is no statutory requirement for us to provide a specific level of cycling infrastructure, we are keen to encourage and enable cycling.

“We consider what cycling improvements could be made when we are developing new highway schemes and try to include them where they are feasible.”

The council said it would take a long time for significant cycling infrastructure, on the scale of London’s cycle superhighways, to be embedded into some of Somerset’s major settlements.

The Department for Transport is aiming the double of trips people make by bicycle (known as stages) by 2025, as well as reducing the number of cyclists being killed or seriously injured on England’s roads.

In order to deliver this in Somerset, the government is providing the county council with technical expertise, with a view to creating a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

This plan, when completed, will lay out what kind of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure is needed to accompany new development across the county, as well as making life better and healthier for existing residents.

The council’s spokesman said: “This support is available from the autumn and we will be working with partners to develop a plan which will support the Garden Town work in Taunton and growth in both Bridgwater and Yeovil, either delivered by the council or by a third party, such as a developer.

“The work on the plan is a stepping stone to a point where the networks in Somerset are evolved enough for some of the more advanced features to be deliverable.”

In Taunton, the Taunton Area Cycling Campaign, will be formally launching the Foxglove Trail for cyclists on June 17 at 10.30am.

The figure-of-eight-shaped route follows the town’s existing “traffic free paths and mainly quiet roads”, winding as far south as Vivary Park and the Blackbrook Business Park out as far as Bathpool and Longrun Meadow.

For full details of the new route visit www.thetacc.org.uk/foxglove-trail.