Carriageway Defects and Pothole Repairs

We carry out regular inspections throughout the year of all our adopted roads, pavements and footpaths. But you can help our inspectors by reporting any problems you see.

What is an pothole?

We class any problem that is

4 cm deep or over on a road (see below image)
2.5 cm deep or over on a footway or crossing

as an 'actionable defect'.

Actionable pothole image — Pothole more than 4cm deep

We don't normally undertake a repair however if:

it is less than 4 cm deep on the road
it is less than 2.5 cm deep on a footpath

If your report doesn't match this criteria, it won't be actioned. Please note that overestimating the size of the hole doesn't mean that it will be fixed - the impact of misreported potholes affects the delivery of the service we provide.

What happens next?

When you inform us of damage to a footway or carriageway, we will endeavour to inspect within 10 working days.

Reported defects are assessed, and where they meet the intervention criteria set out in the Highway Safety Inspection Policy, then a risk assessment will be undertaken.

The severity of the pothole and the urgency of repair is determined by the risk it poses to road users. Factors taken into account include location, size and depth of pothole; traffic type, speed and volume; road type, alignment and visibility.

All minor repairs identified from our Highway Safety Inspections are prioritised for action depending on their severity, location and the hierarchy of the road or footway.

PLEASE NOTE: Repair times vary with the size, depth and location of the pothole.

To report a problem please use our online forms:-

Report A Pothole

Report A Road or Footpath Problem