Drivers' anger as councils are refusing to fix potholes less than one foot wide
Drivers' anger as councils are refusing to fix potholes less than one foot wide
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They are the bane of the existence of many motorists - and can cause significant damage to our cars. But some potholes still won't be fixed - if they are less than a foot wide, it has today emerged. Nearly one in eight highways authorities in England refuse to repair the defects unless they hit that criteria.
Hertfordshire County Council, controlled by the Conservative Party, will not consider a road defect for repair until it is at least 300mm wide and 50mm (2in) deep, analysis of publicly available road repair policies has revealed. It will come as further frustration to drivers across the patch, including Anthony Norden, whose wife hit a pothole last month they'd reported to the authority some time previous - to no action.
Mr Norden, 74, said: "I first came across the pothole in March, and reported it then. Initially I was told the pothole is too small for them to bother repairing. Then, on December 21, my wife was driving and hit the same pothole, creating a gash in the side wall of her tyre.".
The angry pensioner, from Watton At-Stone, Hertfordshire, is not alone. Local authorities received nearly one million reports of potholes between January and November 2024, the Mirror reported this month. But, of the 145 highways authorities' websites surveyed by The Telegraph, the average depth required before maintenance crews would intervene was 40mm (1.6in). Sixteen councils surveyed by the publication said they will not consider fixing potholes smaller than that size. These include Tory-controlled Hampshire and Buckinghamshire as well as smaller areas such as Labour's Warrington and Wirral councils.
