New figures released by a local councillor show the number of potholes that have been filled by the council over the past year throughout Swindon.
Councillor Dale Heenan confirmed on social media that 10,769 potholes were dealt with in the last twelve months – the equivalent of 29 potholes each day.
Councillor Heenan also confirmed that as of May 16th, there were just 19 outstanding potholes to be fixed. ’19, Think about that’ he said.
This weeks interesting fact Ive learnt about @SwindonCouncil is 10769 potholes were repaired in the last 12 months. As of yesterday, there were just 19 outstanding. 19. Think about that. 19 potholes. @SwindonTories pledge being met for 100% repaired within 10 days #waronpotholes
— Dale Heenan (@dale_heenan) May 17, 2022
What classifies as a pothole?
Analysis by the RAC Foundation shows that local highway authorities across the country are increasingly adopting a‘risk-based’ approach to fixing road defects.
This means, for example, that not only will the size – width and depth – of a pothole be taken into account but also the type of road it is on, the volume of traffic that road carries and the mix of road users.
The majority of local highway authorities investigate a pothole when it is between 20-30mm deep, with others waiting until the depth is at least 50mm or more. Swindon investigates at 40mm.
How long after a pothole is reported is it investigated?
The most common response time to the most urgent problems is two hours.
The quickest-acting councils in Great Britain aim to fill in the most severe potholes in their roads within minutes.
Cumbria, Flintshire and South Lanarkshire aim to act “immediately” to repair those potholes that pose the greatest risk to the state of the road and the safety of drivers and riders.
For Swindon roads, if a pothole is more than 40mm deep – a risk assessment is made and the repair will aim to be completed within 24 hours, for those less than 40mm deep – a risk assessment is made to determine if the defect is a hazard and if a repair needs to be scheduled in.
At the other end of the scale it can take some councils three or more days to intervene.
How to report a pothole?
It’s easy to report a pothole online to Swindon Borough Council here.
For the A419 or M4, any damage needs to be reported to Highways England.
