Pothole reports halve as Council accelerates repairs and targets improvements

New figures released by Telford & Wrekin Council show a significant shift in the condition of the local road network, with pothole reports dropping by nearly half over the last month.

Data indicates that the highways service is successfully getting ahead of winter damage across the borough, with fewer outstanding issues being reported by residents.

Between early February and early March, the total number of pothole reports fell from 276 to 148, representing a 46 per cent decrease. This reduction suggests that fewer long-standing defects are being encountered by motorists and fewer new potholes are forming as the network begins to recover from the harsh winter weather.

The council has boosted its capacity to tackle road defects by bringing in additional teams. Weekly repairs saw a dramatic rise from 80 per week in early February to a peak of 206 later in the month. Currently, the council is repairing more potholes each week than are being reported, which is helping to clear the backlog and reduce frustration for road users.

Long-term figures show that between February 2025 and January 2026, crews repaired 2,177 potholes across Telford and Wrekin. This figure sits higher than the 1,683 reported by residents over the same period, demonstrating that council teams are actively identifying and fixing defects before they are flagged by the public.

Looking forward, the council has committed to an investment of almost £91 million over the next four years to maintain roads, footpaths, bridges, and other structures. This level of funding supports the council’s current top ranking for overall satisfaction in the National Highways and Transport survey.

Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing & Enforcement, said: “We’re encouraging residents to continue reporting potholes as the winter subsides and we can really get back on track. Our crews are always out when it counts, constantly out assessing and planning repairs as we know potholes and road defects are a big issue for residents.

“Every year, we spend millions carrying out thousands of repairs and improvements to our road network across the borough. As we move into the spring, we hope the public will continue to help us by identifying and reporting potholes through the MyTelford app and helping us to protect care and invest, to create a better borough.”

The council uses a risk-assessment process for every reported pothole to determine its severity. Some urgent defects are repaired within two hours, while others may receive a temporary fix before being scheduled for permanent works.

The spring period remains a critical time for the borough’s roads. The UK’s frequent freeze-thaw cycles mean water often seeps into cracks, expands as ice, and weakens the road surface. This process leads to the highest volume of defects appearing in late winter and early spring, making rapid reporting via the MyTelford app essential for repair scheduling and road safety.