Plymouth Faces One of the UK’s Most Severe Pothole Nightmares
Plymouth struggles with a severe pothole crisis, with minimal road repairs reported last year
Plymouth, UK, Potholes, Road Repairs, Plymouth City Council
Plymouth: It looks like Plymouth is really dealing with a pothole mess. Recent government data shows it might have one of the worst pothole situations in the UK. Last year, Plymouth City Council reportedly fixed the fewest roads in the country, with only one mile repaired.
The Department for Transport (DfT) revealed that just 0.7% of the 135 miles of roads needing repairs were actually fixed. But the council isn’t taking this lying down. They claim the data is misleading and doesn’t show the full picture.
According to the council, they’ve been working hard to improve the roads over the past few years. They pointed out that the percentage of classified roads needing repairs is lower than the national average. For instance, only 2% of A roads need fixing, compared to 4% nationally.
They also mentioned that fewer defects are reported because they’ve changed their approach. They do prep work early in the year and then finish with surface dressing in the summer. This means they’re tackling issues before they become bigger problems.
In 2024/2025, they completed over 7 kilometers of surface dressing, focusing on C and U roads. Plus, they’ve been trying out a new machine called the Velocity, which makes quick, durable repairs without the hassle of traditional methods. This means less disruption for drivers.
The council has been able to do more repairs for the same cost as fewer traditional methods. They’re really focusing on preventing potholes from forming in the first place. However, they did mention that their highway budgets were cut last year, which made things a bit tricky.
In contrast, Norfolk County Council has been doing a great job, fixing 92% of the roads identified for repair. Overall, there are about 11.5 million potholes across Britain, and the government is facing a huge backlog.
The Labour Government has promised £1.6 billion to help fix these pothole-damaged roads, with most of the funds going to local councils. It’s a tough situation, but they’re trying to tackle it head-on.