Pothole-ridden roads 'worst I've ever seen' for Wisbech mechanic
Data seen by us shows the top 10 streets for pothole repairs in the county
A mechanic in Wisbech has said the current state of local roads is "the worst I've ever seen".
We can reveal Station Road in Kennett, near Newmarket, is the county's worst offender for pothole repairs - with workers having to fix 11 different spots in just the last six months.
Lee Crown has been working at the Wisbech MOT Testing Centre near Weasenham Lane - which has also made the top 10 - since 2003.
"It is horrendous," he said.
"I'd say year on year they (the roads) get slightly worse and I think this year, in my 50 odd years living in Wisbech is the worst I've ever seen."
Top 10 worst roads for pothole repairs
Since September last year, we've found that Cambridgeshire County Council - which maintains local roads - were called out to just one road more than 10 times to fix a pothole:
- Station Road, Kennett - 11
- Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge - 9
- Bell Road, Bottisham - 9
- Weasenham Lane, Wisbech - 8
- Mill Road, Cambridge - 8
- Hills Road, Cambridge - 8
- New Barns Avenue, Ely - 7
- Norwich Road, Wisbech - 7
- Madingley Road, Cambridge - 7
- Isle of Ely Way, Wimblington - 7
Lee does not know exactly how many customers have got in touch because their vehicle's been damaged by a pothole, but believes that trend is rising.
"There's not one nice bit of road in Wisbech, there are potholes everywhere, they're deep, they don't get repaired and when they do get repaired, it's a poor half job and it's back to square one again," he said.
"In a way, it is good for business because it keeps us busy but for our customers, not so good.
"I know budgets are tight and everybody's got to save a pound where they can, but if you skim on basic stuff like potholes, it has a knock-on effect."
'£30k worth of damage'
Annette is one driver in Wisbech who's fallen foul of pothole-ridden roads, having been driving for around 30 years.
"I've got a claim in for £1,000 worth of damage (and) that's the second time," she said.
"There are more potholes than road, isn't there?"
Michael has been driving for more than six decades, and is frustrated with the repairs that are being done.
"They don't seem to do anything, do they? They get bigger and bigger and nothing ever gets done" he told us.
"On some byroads, potholes are two foot deep and you think 'Christ'."
What's the solution?
The county council has agreed to spend £58 million on improving local roads, such as resurfacing, preventative treatments, and upgrades to bridges, footpaths and cycle routes.
For 2026/27, £2.5 million has also been ring‑fenced for soil‑affected road repairs.
For Lee, he hopes the council can change their approach.
"I think they (the council) need to look at how they repair potholes and when they come out to repair one, don't just do the one big one, do the three little ones around it and get the whole job done in one go," he said.
Councillor Alex Beckett - chair of the county council's highways and transport committee - said last year that the authority was "spending record amounts" on road improvements.
Pippa Heylings - MP for South Cambridgeshire - has previously said local councils need more money from the Government to repair the roads.
The Government's promised to invest £1.2 billion across the East of England to help councils make road improvements within the next four years.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the Government has "put our money where our mouth is".