County council repaired more than 10 potholes a day on average last year

Richard Youle – Local democracy reporter

A county council repaired just over 10 potholes a day on average last year – significantly more than the previous 12 months.

Highways staff at Carmarthenshire Council repaired 3,623 potholes compared to 2,360 in 2024-25.

The figures closely align with the number of potholes reported by the public in both years although the defects are also picked up by staff during scheduled inspections.

The council received 156 insurance claims for damage and injury caused by potholes in the last two years and paid out on five of them. The total amount paid out, excluding any ongoing claims, was £8,181.

It provided the figures following a freedom of information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cllr Edward Thomas, cabinet member for transport, waste, and infrastructure services, said the council inspected, assessed, and repaired road defects like potholes in line with national guidance and best practice.

He said all pothole reports by the public were logged and where necessary assessed.

“Reactive pothole repairs are carried out to address immediate safety concerns however the council’s long‑term strategy is focused on targeted, planned maintenance to prolong the lifespan of road surfaces and deliver best value across the county’s road network whilst working within the available budget,” said Cllr Thomas.

A council scrutiny committee heard last November that the number of potholes recorded in the county soared from 1,978 in 2020 to 11,014 in 2024. The figure for the first 10 months of 2025 was 9,146.

A committee report said Carmarthenshire had the second-largest road network of Wales’ 22 councils and the fifth-highest traffic levels. “The increase in potholes is as a result of sustained low levels of investment in preventative maintenance,” it said.

Potholes worsen in winter when water freezes and expands, causing further cracks.

Carmarthenshire is not unique in having a seemingly endless list of potholes to fix. Swansea Council repaired 6,322 of them in 2025-26 and received 5,455 pothole reports from the public. It also paid out £111,175 in pothole damage and injury claims during 2024-25 and 2025-26 but the number paid out was only a fraction of those received.