News

Council overhauls pothole repairs after 4,300 reports in a year

28 Sep 2026 3 minute read

A car passing a pothole on the road. Picture: LDRS

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

Two new highway inspectors are to be appointed as a result of a review of how a council responds to pothole reports.

Funding to maintain the long-term future of two additional pothole repair teams will also be considered as part of Monmouthshire County Council’s planning for its 2027/28 budget.

The full council has also given the go-ahead for the authority to buy a £60,000 Bobcat Skid Steer loader which will be the preferred machinery for planned maintenance.

Councillors also agreed changes to make it easier for the public to report potholes and how the council tracks reports and repairs.

They backed all the recommendations produced following a review of pothole repairs agreed by the council in March.

Conservative member Tony Kear, who had tabled the motion in March and has campaigned over potholes for the past three years when he arranged for the council to trial the JCB Pothole Pro machine, welcomed the outcome of the review.

Cllr Kear said potholes are a major issue for residents and during 2025/26 it received 4,300 reports and repair requests, a 46 per cent increase on the previous year. Cllr Kear said: “Nobody should pretend this report means all pothole problems will disappear.”

Cllr Tony Kear pictured with the Bobcat Skid Steer loader which Monmouthshire County Council intends purchasing following a trial. Picture: Supplied.

He said there would be a “better” inspection and prioritisation process and better use of taxpayers’ money and while he said he’d previously pushed to consider the Pothole Pro, which costs more than £200,000, the approach is “not about buying the most impressive machinery but the right tool for the right job.”

A more durable repair material will also be used during colder and wetter weather to help repairs last longer.

Catrin Maby, the Labour cabinet member responsible for highways, said that will cost four times the council’s current method “but will be more resilient in the wet weather and produce a smother surface.”

The council will continue with “cold fill” temporary repairs during the summer and it is estimated the new method will cost an additional £56,000 though the need for repeat repairs will be reduced.

The council has made £3.6 million available for pothole repairs, over the next three years, from this April and Cllr Maby said the budget for maintenance was at “a very low base” when Labour came to power in 2022.

She also pleaded with councillors to remember the highways budget when setting next year’s budget.

The Conservatives said the council had responded to pressure from Cllr Kear, who brought the motion in March. A press release by the council said it has reviewed how potholes are reported, inspected, prioritised and repaired over the past 12 months.

A review of the changes will be held in two years though some councillors suggested a review should be held after 12 months.

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