Potholes on the increase in Wokingham
Steep rise in the number reported
Last updated 1st Sep 2023
THE number of potholes reported across Wokingham is rising, according to new figures.
Residents reported a total of 947 potholes across the borough between April and August – the first few months of the 2023-24 financial year.
That’s almost triple the amount reported over the same period last year, and more than double for the year before that.
Councillor Paul Fishwick, responsible for highways at Wokingham Borough Council, said:
“Our residents’ safety is our number one priority and we continually check the condition of our roads, using technical surveys and visual inspections by trained staff, as well as technical assessments and analysis.
“Potholes and inadequate funding from the government is a national problem, estimated by the annual ALARM survey to have reached £14billion for England and Wales in March 2023, and therefore low satisfaction scores are being given by the public nationally.”
The figures also show that the council repaired 1,104 potholes between April and August this year. But that’s far less than it repaired over the same period in 2021 – 1,457 – even though only 418 were reported then.
In fact, more potholes were reported in just one month this year – 433 in April – than in the first five months of 2021-22.
Councillor Fishwick said: “Sometimes, issues with the roads happen that we can’t plan for which need to be fixed.
“This could be a pothole appearing, or damage due to extreme weather events. Prolonged periods of wet weather together with cold periods can cause considerable damage to road surfaces.”
The figures were revealed in a presentation set to be made to councillors at a meeting of the Community and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday, September 4.