This section sets out how authorities identify and repair potholes and other defects in carriageways, and how this activity fits within their wider maintenance approach. The Department is clear that prevention is better than cure: planned, preventative maintenance should be the foundation of a well-managed network, reducing the need for repeated reactive interventions.
Pothole/Defect intervention criteria
| Pothole/Defect category name (as used by your authority) |
Minimum investigatory or definitional threshold (e.g. depth, area, width – include units) |
Additional risk or contextual factors considered (e.g. road hierarchy, traffic levels, location in carriageway) |
Target response time – make safe |
Target response time – permanent repair |
| Reactive - P1 |
250mmx300mmx40mm |
Risk is based on size, location, materials and use of the highway, speed of the repair and nature of the defect. |
2hrs |
24hrs |
| Reactive - P2 |
250mmx300mmx40mm |
Risk is based on size, location, materials and use of the highway, speed of the repair and nature of the defect. |
2hrs |
7 days |
| Reactive - P3 |
250mmx300mmx40mm |
Risk is based on size, location, materials and use of the highway, speed of the repair and nature of the defect. |
2hrs |
28 days |
Number of potholes filled
| Number of potholes filled in 2025-26 (estimate) |
2,514 |
Of these how many do you estimate were resolved using each of the following approaches?
| Planned repair / patching programmes |
Planned structural maintenance programmes |
Reactive repair using temporary repair methods |
Reactive repair using permanent repair methods |
| Negligible |
Negligible |
1,499 |
1,015 |
| We don’t keep records of potholes repaired as part of the surface treatment programmes, as all roads are kept in a safe condition, with any preparation works focused on addressing serviceability issues only. |
Caution
Authorities have different criteria for identifying potholes and different methodologies for counting how many they have filled or resolved. Summing the figures in the above table across authorities will therefore not provide a reliable estimate of the total number of potholes filled across England.
Prices of pothole interventions
| Unit/average cost of a permanent pothole repair on your network (reactive) |
£ 90 |
Unit/average cost of a temporary pothole repair on your network (reactive) |
£75 |
| These costs cover repairs up to an area of 1m2 and 100mm deep. |
Defect repair quality
| ID |
Question |
|
| 3.4.1 |
Do you set requirements to those delivering repairs about the longevity of both a) planned repairs/patching and b) reactive repairs using permanent methods? |
Yes |
| 3.4.2 |
If yes, do you base your material and process specifications on these longevity requirements? |
Yes |
| 3.4.3 |
Do you regularly monitor the appropriateness of the carriageway interventions chosen by your workforce or contractor and the quality of work delivered? |
Yes |
| 3.4.4 |
If yes, do you systematically record information about expected and delivered longevity of repairs? |
Yes |
Evidence Summary
| The Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy and Highway Safety Inspection Manual, which set performance expectations for planned and permanent reactive repairs, including defect intervention criteria and quality standards. Repair works are inspected through routine site supervision, post-completion audits, safety inspections, and contractor performance reviews to ensure interventions remain appropriate and are delivered to the required standard. While repair performance and workmanship are monitored and repeat defects investigated, the authority has set minimum number of defects within a 3 monthly period within the contract KPIs. |
| Reactive work is closely monitored including all callouts and priority 1 and 2 defects. These are reviewed weekly to identify any network problems, to correct any repair material used and to ensure the quality of repairs and priorities given. |
Public reporting system for defects and other issues
| ID |
Question |
Answer |
| 3.5.1 |
Are defect reports from the public routinely used as an input into maintenance planning and inspection regimes? |
Yes |
| 3.5.2 |
Do you inform users about the outcomes from their feedback, including when no action is to be taken? |
Yes |
Evidence Summary
| Reports from residents help us identify highway defects and understand where maintenance is needed. Information submitted through our online reporting system, contact centre and other feedback channels is reviewed and used to support inspections, prioritise repairs and inform future maintenance programmes. We keep customers informed by providing updates on the status of their report and advising what action will be taken. Where no action is required, we explain the reasons, helping to ensure our decision-making process is transparent and understood by the public. |
| A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is used which links directly to the Highways Asset Management system for ease and accuracy of reporting and for responses to be issued if contact details are provided. |
