Pothole reports halve as Council accelerates repairs and targets improvements
New figures released by Telford & Wrekin Council are showing more defects being fixed each week and fewer outstanding issues across the network, signalling that the highways service is getting firmly ahead of winter damage across the borough – and is out when it counts for residents.
Latest data shows a marked reduction in reports of potholes and a fall in overall reports between early February and early March. Over this four‑week period, the total number of pothole reports fell from 276 to 148 - 46 per cent. While conditions can vary from street to street, this suggests fewer long‑standing defects are being encountered and fewer new potholes are forming as the network recovers from winter damage.
At the same time, weekly repairs have risen dramatically, increasing from 80 repairs per week in early February to a peak of 206 later in the month due to support from additional teams, before stabilising at a consistently high rate. The council is now repairing more potholes each week than are being reported, helping to clear backlogs more quickly and reducing frustration for motorists – showing crews are out when it counts, especially as the borough recovers from winter weather.
Since February 2025 to Jan 2026, crews have repaired 2,177 potholes across Telford and Wrekin, compared to 1,683 reported by residents over the same period – demonstrating that teams are actively identifying and fixing defects before they deteriorate further.
Over the next four years, the Council will invest almost £91 million into maintaining roads, footpaths, bridges and other structures. This substantial investment supports the council’s continued top ranking for overall satisfaction in the National Highways and Transport (NHT) 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.”
Each reported pothole is risk assessed to determine severity. Depending on the outcome, some defects are repaired within two hours; if it is safe to do so, they receive a temporary repair and are then added to the programme for further work.
Spring is a crucial period for road maintenance. As temperatures rise and stabilise, the effects of a long winter become more visible. Water seeps into tiny cracks in the road surface, freezes, expands and forces the cracks to widen. As vehicles continue to drive over weakened areas, the structure breaks down and potholes form.
In the UK, this problem is intensified by highly variable winter weather. Unlike many European countries, the UK experiences frequent, fluctuating and often wet freeze–thaw cycles, which place additional strain on already vulnerable road surfaces. With each repeated cycle, weakened patches deteriorate until they break apart and form potholes.
This is why the council experiences the highest volume of defects in late winter and early spring – and why rapid reporting is essential when it counts most for repair scheduling and road safety.
Residents can support this work by using the MyTelford app or at www.telford.gov.uk/potholes to report potholes, helping ensure issues are logged promptly and prioritised appropriately.