IN 2018 Highways England repaired 22,862 potholes, up from 14,104 in 2017. It also paid compensation following damage report claims of £81,500 in 2017 rising spectacularly to £329,379 last year. But what exactly is a pothole?
It seems like a pretty straightforward question – after all, you know one when you see (or feel) it – but the answer actually changes depending on where you live.
That’s because Britain’s roads are cared for by a network of 207 Local Highways Authorities, each with their own budgets, problems and priorities, and each allowed to come up with its own set of rules that defines when a road defect becomes a pothole that needs fixing. And even once a pothole reaches that critical threshold there’s an equally diverse set of response times and reactions. The overall result is that a pothole that gets fixed within hours on one stretch of road might be left for much longer – or allowed to get worse – if it was just a few yards away, across the boundary into another LHA’s territory.
The vast variation between different areas is highlighted by a set of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests sent out by the RAC Foundation late last year. Of the 207 Authorities, 190 provided enough data for the RAC Foundation to pull together a comprehensive comparison of the varying thresholds and response times around the country.
The results show that, encouragingly, most (75%) of the LHAs now adopt a ‘risk-based approach’ to fixing potholes. That means rather than ticking specific boxes about pothole dimensions before triggering a repair, LHAs assess the potential dangers, both to people and vehicles, and base their decisions to fix holes on those risks. However, most still have dimensional thresholds that the potholes must exceed before they even enter the risk-assessment phase, and there’s a wide disparity of those thresholds across the nation.
The RAC’s FoI revealed that in some parts of the country (12 LHAs) there’s no specific threshold, and any reported road damage will automatically be risk-assessed. In another 37 LHA, small potholes between 20mm to 30mm deep would get assessed, while at the other end of the scale there were 26 LHAs that won’t even initiated a risk-assessment, let alone a repair, until the hole is more than 50mm in depth. For car drivers, that could be the difference between an uncomfortable thump and a puncture or dented wheel rim. For motorcyclists the stakes are rather higher.
Even the chance of a pothole being recorded in the first place varies from place to place. Although there is a Code of Practise for LHAs that recommends checking primary and secondary roads once a month, link roads once every three months and local roads once a year, only 28% of LHAs actually follow that guidance. In all, the RAC Foundation discovered there are 109 different inspection frequencies used between the 190 authorities that responded to its investigation. As well as these inspections, authorities will also check on potholes reported by the public; so if you see or hit a pothole that looks like it poses a danger, it’s worth reporting it as it could be weeks or months before the next scheduled check on any particular piece of road.
Even once a pothole has reached the threshold of size required for a risk-assessment, there’s a wide variation in response times depending on the LHA area that it falls within and the results of that assessment. But even then, there’s still a broad spread of responses.
In some areas, potholes assessed to be in the worst category will be fixed ‘immediately’, with 8% aiming to be on the case within an hour for the most dangerous holes and 42% aiming at a two-hour limit. But here the postcode lottery for potholes is clear once again – in Harrow, for instance, the worst holes will be fixed within 30 minutes, while in Coventry the target time for fixing holes of the same class is five days.
Reactions to less severe potholes are similarly diverse, with 18% of LHAs aiming to fix the least-urgent ones within 28 days, while 25% will leave it until the next ‘programmed works’ on that stretch of road and 13% will simply monitor the hole, leaving repairs until it gets bad enough to slide into a riskier category.
If you want to know how your local authority does, check out the full list of responses to the RAC Foundation’s Freedom of Information request below.
Away from LHA roads, potholes are also an increasing problem on motorways and strategic roads operated nationwide by Highways England. A Freedom of Information inquiry in December revealed that Highways England repaired 22,862 potholes in 2018, up from 14,104 in 2017. It also showed that the amount of compensation paid following damage report claims rose spectacularly, from £81,500 in 2017 to £329,379.
Local Highway Authority |
Response times for defects, most serious first |
Depth of pothole needed to get assessed |
Aberdeen City |
2 hours , 7 days , 28 days , 3 months |
35mm |
Aberdeenshire |
4 hours , 7 days , 30 days , Programmed works |
Risk based |
Angus |
24 hours , 5 days , 28 days , Recorded - may be included in next available programme |
40mm, 75mm wide |
Argyll & Bute |
4 hours , 7 days , 30 days , monitor |
40mm |
Barking and Dagenham |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 27 days , Planned works |
Risk based |
Barnet |
2 hours , 48 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
50mm |
Barnsley |
24 hours , 1 month |
50m, 150mm wide |
Bath and North East Somerset |
No data |
No data |
Bedford |
2 hours , 24 hours , Within 8 weeks |
25mm, 150mm wide |
Bexley |
1 hour , 90 days |
40mm, 200mm wide |
Birmingham |
1 hour , Next day , 7 days , 28 days , 3-6 months , 6-1 year , Monitor |
Risk based |
Blackburn with Darwen |
4 hours , 2 days , 10 days , 15 days , 20 days (25 days) |
40mm, 150mm wide |
Blackpool |
24 hours , 5 days , 5 weeks , Consider for planned works |
40mm but with discretion of inspector |
Blaenau Gwent |
No data |
No data |
Bolton |
2 hours , 24 hours , 14 days , 28 days , Consider for future planned works , Review at next inspection |
40mm |
Bournemouth |
36 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Not defined |
40mm |
Bracknell Forest |
1 hour , 24 hours , 28 days |
50mm and <0.25sqm |
Bradford |
24 hours , 5 days , Next available work programme |
40mm |
Brent |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Monitor/planned works |
30mm, 100sqcm2 |
Bridgend |
24 hours , 28 days |
40mm |
Brighton and Hove |
24 hours , 28 days , Recorded |
40mm |
Bristol |
2 hours , 10 days |
40mm |
Bromley |
2 hours , 10 days , 35 days |
30mm |
Buckinghamshire |
2 hours , 2 days , 5 days , 28 days , planned works |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Bury |
2 hours , 7 days , 28 days , 60 days , Next available programme |
40mm |
Caerphilly |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 days (all others) |
40mm |
Calderdale |
2 hours , 1 day , 5 days , Agreed timescale |
40mm |
Cambridgeshire |
2 hours , 5 days , 21 days , 12 weeks |
20mm, 75mm wide |
Camden |
No data |
30mm |
Cardiff |
2 hours , Next working day , 28 days , Programmed works |
30mm, 0.09sqm |
Carmarthenshire |
2 hours , 24 hours , Programmed works |
40mm |
Central Bedfordshire |
2 hours , 5 days , Programmed works, unless within 10m of a Cat 1 defect (then treat as a Cat 1) |
50mm, 150mm wide (two directions) |
Ceredigion |
Within 24 hours , 5 days , 20 days , Assessment and inclusion in short/medium term programmes |
20mm |
Cheshire East |
1.5 hours , Next working day , 5 days |
50mm |
Cheshire West and Chester |
1.5 hours , 24 hours , 5 days |
50mm |
City of London |
3 hours , 7 days , 7 week if road/lane closure is needed |
20mm |
Clackmannanshire |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Monitor/next available programme |
40mm, 100mm x 100mm |
Conwy |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , consider for planned maintenance |
30mm, 150mm wide |
Cornwall |
48 hours , 48 hours , 72 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Next available programme |
40mm |
County Durham |
24 hours , 14 days , 3 months , 1 year |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Coventry |
5 days , 40 days |
40mm |
Croydon |
No data |
No data |
Cumbria |
Immediate , 1 day , 5 days , 1,3,6 or 1 year , Next programmed works , Monitor |
40mm |
Darlington |
No data |
40mm |
Denbighshire |
2 hours , 10 days , 4 months |
50mm, 300mm wide |
Derby |
1 hour , 36 hours , 13 days , 28 days , Recorded/next available works , Monitor |
40mm |
Derbyshire |
Next day , Risk based , Planned works |
40mm |
Devon |
2 hours , Next working day , 7 days , 28 days , Monitor |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Doncaster |
2 hours , 5 days , 25 days , Planned works programme |
40mm, 250mm wide |
Dorset |
2 hours , 32 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Planned works |
20mm, 300m wide |
Dudley |
24 hours , 7 days |
20mm |
Dumfries & Galloway |
No data |
No data |
Dundee City |
4 hours , 5 days , 30 days , Monitor/next available programme |
40mm |
Ealing |
1 hour , 7 days , 30 days |
25mm |
East Ayrshire |
2 hours , 5 days , 10 days , 28 days |
40mm, 75mm wide |
East Dunbartonshire |
4 hours , 7 days , 30 days , monitor/next available programme |
Risk based |
East Lothian |
24 hours , 5 days , 3 months , monitor/next available programme |
40mm. 150mm wide |
East Renfrewshire |
2 hours , 8 days |
40mm |
East Riding of Yorkshire |
No data |
No data |
East Sussex |
2 hours , 5 days , 28 days |
40mm, 200mm wide |
Edinburgh |
24 hours , 4 days , 28 days , Monitor/1 year |
<40mm |
Enfield |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
40mm |
Essex |
2 hours , County route: 2 days & Local 5: days , Considered for planned works , Monitor/non-planned timescale |
50mm, 75mm wide |
Falkirk |
24 hours , 5 days , 4 weeks , Next available programme |
30mm |
Fife |
24 hours , 5 days , Next available programme |
40mm |
Flintshire |
Immediate , >40mm within 3 working days , <40mm review at next inspection |
40mm |
Gateshead |
24 hours , 10 days , 40 days |
40mm |
Glasgow City |
No data |
No data |
Gloucestershire |
2 hours , 1 working day , 28 days , 3 months |
40mm |
Greenwich |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 days , Other |
40mm |
Gwynedd |
24 hours , 3 months |
40mm |
Hackney |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , 56 days |
20mm |
Halton |
2 hours , 24 hours , 5 days , 12 days , 28 days |
40mm |
Hammersmith and Fulham |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 days , Next available programme |
40mm, 40mm wide |
Hampshire |
2 hours , 24 hours , 2 months |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Haringey |
2 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Planned works |
25mm, 100sqcm |
Harrow |
30mins , 1 hour , 2 hours , 5 days , 15 days |
40mm |
Hartlepool |
1 hour , 24 hours , 28 days |
40mm |
Havering |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Herefordshire |
A and B roads and prestige footways: end of the following day , 7 days , 28 days , 2 months , Consider forward planning |
Risk based |
Hertfordshire |
24 hours, 5-20 days permanent repair, Assess and decide strategy |
50mm |
Highland |
Within 24 hours , 7 days , 21 days , 42 days , Planned work as resource permits |
No specified interventions levels |
Hillingdon |
No data |
No data |
Hounslow |
24 hours , 28 days , 46 days , Next available works |
40mm |
Inverclyde |
4 hours , 7 days , 30 days , No action - recorded but might be included in next planned maintenance |
<40mm |
Isle of Anglesey |
1hr , 24 hours , 28 days |
20mm |
Isle of Wight |
24 hours, 28 days, Planned maintenance, Noted: no works |
Risk based |
Isles of Scilly |
48 hours |
No data |
Islington |
4 hours, 3 days, planned works |
40mm |
Kensington and Chelsea |
2 hours, 24 hours, 28 days |
40mm |
Kent |
2 hours, Next working day, 7 days, 28 days, Programmed works |
50mm |
Kingston upon Hull |
24 hours, 5 days, Planned works programme |
40mm, 40mm wide |
Kingston upon Thames |
2 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, 28 days, Recorded for future work programme |
50mm |
Kirklees |
24 hours, 7 days, 28 days , Planned works |
Risk based |
Knowsley |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 day , Monitor/next available works |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Lambeth |
2-24 hours , 28 days |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Lancashire |
4 hours, 2 days, 5 days, 10 days, 20 days |
40mm, 150mm wide |
Leeds |
Made safe or repaired by end of next day , Made safe or repaired within 28 working days , Repair by service owner |
40mm |
Leicester |
Same day , 2 days , 5 days , 20 days |
40mm |
Leicestershire |
72 hours , 90 days, 90 days , 1 year |
Up to 40mm |
Lewisham |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
50mm |
Lincolnshire |
24 hours , 7 days, 28 days or 90 days |
40mm |
Liverpool |
2 hours , 25 days |
25mm |
Luton |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
50mm |
Manchester |
2 hours , 24 hours , 5 days , 20 days |
30mm |
Medway |
No data |
No data |
Merthyr Tydfil |
24 hours , 20 days , 30 days , No set time |
40mm |
Merton |
No data |
No data |
Middlesbrough |
2 hours , 24 hours , 5 days , 28 days , Next available programme |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Midlothian |
24 hours , 28 days |
40mm, 200mm wide |
Milton Keynes |
24 hours , 28 days , Planed maintenance |
50mm |
Monmouthshire |
24 hours , 10 days , 4 weeks , No set target response time |
40mm |
Moray |
2 hours , 3 days , 28 days , 6 months |
20mm, 150mm wide |
Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) |
24 hours , 7 days , 1 month , 3 months/next programme |
40mm |
Neath Port Talbot |
2 hours , 24 hours , 35 days |
40mm |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
No data |
No data |
Newham |
2 hours , 24 hours , 10 days , 28 days , Monitor/next available programme |
25mm |
Newport |
24 hours , 5 days , 21 days , Planned works |
40mm |
Norfolk |
2 hours , 4 days , 35 days , monitor/next available programme |
20mm |
North Ayrshire |
4 hours , 7 days , 30 days , No action - recorded but might be included in next planned maintenance |
<40mm |
North East Lincolnshire |
24 hours , 3 weeks , 6 weeks , 3 months , Review at next inspection |
40mm, 300mm wide |
North Lanarkshire |
1.5 hours , 2 hours , 5 working days , 20 working days , 55 working days |
40mm |
North Lincolnshire |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Programmed works |
40mm |
North Somerset |
24 hours , 28 days |
40mm, 300mm wide |
North Tyneside |
4 hours , 14 days , Planned works |
40mm, 300mm wide |
North Yorkshire |
2 hours , 24 hours , 1 week , 1 month , 3 months |
40mm, 150mm wide in all directions |
Northamptonshire |
2 hours , 5 days , 28 days |
40mm |
Northumberland |
24 hours , 12 days , 28 days , Monitor/next available programme |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Nottingham |
within 24 hours , 28 days , 3 months |
50mm. 300mm wide |
Nottinghamshire |
No data |
No data |
Oldham |
2 hours , 24 hours , 14 days , 28 days , Review at next inspection |
40mm |
Orkney Islands |
Made safe 2 hours, 24 hours for repair , made safe 24 hours, 5 days for repairs , 28 days |
50mm, 150mm wide |
Oxfordshire |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 days , Monitor/planned works |
40mm, 150mm wide |
Pembrokeshire |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , 3 months |
20mm |
Perth and Kinross |
4 hours , 7 days , 30 days , No action - recorded but might be included in next planned maintenance |
<40mm |
Peterborough |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Monitor and/or programmed works |
20mm |
Plymouth |
2 hours , 5 days |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Poole |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , next available programme |
40mm, 150mm wide |
Portsmouth |
24 hours , 28 days |
20mm |
Powys |
24 hours , 2 months , 1 year , 24 months |
Risk based |
Reading |
3 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
50mm, 300mm x 300mm area |
Redbridge |
2 hours , Next working day , 3 days , 28 days , Next available works programme |
40mm |
Redcar and Cleveland |
No data |
No data |
Renfrewshire |
2 hours , 1 day , 5 days , 6 months , Future works |
45mm |
Rhondda |
2 hours , 28 days |
30mm |
Richmond upon Thames |
2 hours/same day , Next day , 7 days , 7 days , 28 days |
25mm |
Rochdale |
1 hour , 24 hours , 20 days |
35mm |
Rotherham |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 3 months |
40mm, 250mm wide |
Rutland |
2 hours (make safe) , Within 7 days , Within 7 days |
40mm |
Salford |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 days |
40mm |
Sandwell |
2 hours , 5 days |
40mm |
Scottish Borders |
24 hours , 7 days , 4 weeks , Planned works |
40mm |
Sefton |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 days |
40mm |
Sheffield |
1 hour , 24 hours |
40mm |
Shetland Islands |
24 hours , 5 days , 30 days , Monitor and review |
50mm |
Shropshire |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Programmed works |
20mm |
Slough |
1 hour , 2 hours , 28 days |
50mm |
Solihull |
2 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Future works programme |
Risk based |
Somerset |
1.5 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
40mm, 150mm wide |
South Ayrshire |
No data |
No data |
South Gloucestershire |
24 hours , 14 days , 12 weeks , Next available programme |
30mm, 300m wide all round |
South Lanarkshire |
immediate/4 hours , 7 days |
25mm |
South Tyneside |
2 hours , 24 hours , 10 days |
40mm |
Southampton |
24 hours , 6 months |
40mm |
Southend-on-Sea |
2 hours , 24 hours |
40mm |
Southwark |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days |
40mm, 100mm x 100mm |
St. Helens |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 day , 21 day , 56 day/programmed works |
40mm |
Staffordshire |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Next available programme |
40mm |
Stirling |
12 hours , 20 days |
20mm |
Stockport |
Emergency: 2 hours , Urgent: 72 hours , Town centre and pedestrianised areas: 12 day , main route: 28 days , Estate/minor: 56 days |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Stockton-on-Tees |
2 hours , 24 hours , 10 days , 28 days , next available programme |
Risk based |
Stoke-on-Trent |
1 hours , Next working day , 10 days |
20mm |
Suffolk |
2 hours , 2 days , 5 days , 10 days , 20 days , 14 weeks |
25mm, 400mm wide |
Sunderland |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 6 months/planned works |
40mm |
Surrey |
2 hours , 5 days , 20 days or next work programme |
40mm |
Sutton |
2 hours , 24 hours , 8 days , 25 days |
40mm |
Swansea |
24 hours , 20 days , 20 days , None |
50mm, 250mm wide |
Swindon |
1 hour , 24 hours , 6 weeks |
31mm |
Tameside |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days or 28 days |
30mm |
Telford and Wrekin |
No data |
No data |
TfL |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , No response required |
20mm, 100sqcm |
The Vale of Glamorgan |
Next working day , Monitor/works programme |
40mm |
Thurrock |
2 hours , 5 days (potholes: 72 hours) , Monitor/90 days , Next planned works |
50mm, 75mm wide |
Torbay |
No data |
No data |
Torfaen |
24 hours , 28 days |
40mm |
Tower Hamlets |
2 hours , 24 hours , 5 days , 28 days |
40mm |
Trafford |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 day , 28 days , No immediate action |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Wakefield |
24 hours , 7 day , 28 days , Monitor |
50mm |
Walsall |
1 hour , 24 hour , 5 days , 6 months - programmed works |
50mm |
Waltham Forest |
1.5 hours , 24 hours , 6 weeks , monitor/planned works |
40mm |
Wandsworth |
No data |
No data |
Warrington |
PO & P1: 2 hours , P2: 24 hours , P3: 5 days , P4: 14 days , P5: 28 days , P6: next available programme |
40mm |
Warwickshire |
1 hour , 24 hours , 28 days |
50mm |
West Berkshire |
2 hours , 24 hours , 28 days , Review/programmed works |
50mm, 300mm wide |
West Dunbartonshire |
No data |
No data |
West Lothian |
24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Next available programme |
40mm, 300mm wide |
West Sussex |
2 hours , 5 days , 28 days |
40mm |
Westminster |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7/10 days , 28 days |
20mm |
Wigan |
2 hours , 24 hours , 5 day , 10 day |
40mm |
Wiltshire |
24 hours , Temp 23 hours, Perm 28 days , 7 days , 1 month , 3 months , Referred to Local Roads Manager , Do not meet intervention level but may do in the future |
40mm, 250mm wide |
Windsor and Maidenhead |
3 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 14 days , 28 days |
40mm, 150mm wide |
Wirral |
1 hour to 24 days |
40mm, 300mm wide |
Wokingham |
2 hours , 24 hours , 7 days , 14 days , 28 days , Works to be programmed |
Risk based |
Wolverhampton |
2 hours , 24 hours/next working day , 30 days , 90 days , 180 days |
25mm |
Worcestershire |
1 hour , 24 hours , 7 days , 28 days , Monitor |
25mm |
Wrexham |
2-24 hours , 90 days or prior to next inspection , Planned works |
50mm |
York |
34 hours , 3 days , 20 days |
40mm |