Potholes

A pothole is where the surface of the road has been eroded and a dip or hollow is formed; not all holes are deep enough to be officially classed by us as a pothole. 

Pothole Frequently Asked Questions

• Why are potholes becoming more common in the UK?  

  Weather changes 
  In recent years the UK has experience more cold weather and rainfall which are major contributors to pothole formation.

   
  Increased traffic 
  More vehicles and heavier loads cause accelerated deterioration of road surfaces.

   
  Spending priorities 
  76% of the council’s budget will be spent on social care and education in 2024. Like other councils, we are prioritising services that support our most vulnerable residents.  
  However the cost of maintaining our roads and delivering other visible services is also increasing. Despite spending more than ever on maintaining highways, it is very difficult to keep up with the ever increasing number of potholes.   

  
  More information about how potholes are formed is available on the RAC website. 

• How much money does the council spend on potholes? 

  The Council is spending more money than ever before on repairing potholes. 

   

  In 2023, the Council allocated £1.17 million to potholes (0.4% of the overall budget).

    
  In 2018, we allocated £371,000 to potholes (0.17% of the overall budget).

   
  If a pothole is deemed unsafe upon inspection, the Council is obliged to repair the defect. This often results in an overspend. 

  
  During 2023, we spent nearly £1million on top of the allocated budget, taking total spend to £2.01 million to make sure the roads in the Vale are safe. 

• How does the Council identify potholes that need repairing? 

  In 2023, the Council funded the repair of 9,717 potholes. Some of these were identified by routine highways inspections, and some were reported to the Council by residents. 

  
  The Council has four inspectors that inspect the highways all year round and raise repair works where necessary. With a lot of ground to cover, we rely on defects being reported to us. 

• How should I report a pothole to the Council? 

  Residents can report a pothole to the Council via the online form. 

  
  The form will ask you for location details so that an inspector can visit the site, and contact details so that we can update you on the outcome of the inspection.

   
  Please note that you can report a pothole without making an account by selecting ‘continue as guest’. 

• What will happen after I report a pothole to the Council? 

  After a resident reports a pothole to the council, an officer will inspect the defect, looking at its position, size and depth, road classification, traffic speed and volume. 

  
  If the defect qualifies for a repair, we will raise the necessary works with our contractor.

   
  We aim to repair potholes within 28 days, or within 24 hours if the defect is identified as high risk.

   
  If you report the pothole using our online form, you will receive an update via email on the outcome of the inspection (unless you have chosen to report anonymously). 

• Why has the pothole I reported not been repaired? 

  Not every defect is deep enough to be repaired. A repair on shallow Potholes will be ineffective and the problem will quickly return – this would simply be a waste of money.

  
  Sometimes our team will mark up the road with spray paint. We do this where there are several potholes in one area. These grouped defects will be repaired as part of our three-year road surfacing plan. 

• How are potholes repaired?