Residents unconvinced by rise in road repair spending

Despite massive spending increases in road repairs, a city’s residents say they aren’t feeling the effects.

A freedom of information request filed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) to Cardiff Council revealed that in 2025 it spent £5,773,619 on surfacing roads, £72,469 on repairing potholes and £1,509,276 on road patching.

This is a massive increase from the year before when the council spent £2,988,326 on surfacing, £48,484 on potholes and £1,038,825 on patching.

In all three cases, the 2025 figures represent peak spending since 2020.

Despite this, Cardiff residents say they aren’t seeing any improvements.

One resident, Liz Nihan, told the LDRS: “It’s atrocious, I think the roads in Cardiff are absolutely appalling.”

She continued: “I realise there’s a finite budget but the road situation is atrocious.

“It’s embarrassing for a capital city, we are a poor show. Most roads in most areas are affected…wherever you drive in the city, it’s just appalling I think.”

Sukhcharan Gill said: “Lately if you drive on main roads or side streets, the potholes are just mad.

“The amount of problems me and my son have with potholes – punctures, cuts and everything.”

He continued: “You just got to avoid them, some parts you can avoid and some parts are really bad now.

“I think they need to spend a bit more rather than spending on other things, they need to improve the roads first.”

Sheena Cameron, who does not live in Cardiff but does visit, told the LDRS: “I am on public transport a lot, coming in and out of Cardiff on the bus and there can be big dips where you really get thrown about.

“That’s quite an impact.”

She also said she’s seen issues around bus stops where there’s “such a groove in the road it’s almost like a wave”.

One resident, Ben, who did not want to give his surname said: “It feels like there’s not really a lot which is done.”

He continued: “It feels like the potholes are either left unattended or unworried about or it seems like they are fixed but not fixed in a way in which they will actually stay repaired.

“It makes it feel like they’re done on the cheap.”

A Cardiff Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “In the UK, councils are facing a national road repair backlog of more than £12bn. Here in Cardiff, our highways are inspected in full accordance with the Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance Management and the requirements set out in the Highways Act 1980.

“This winter has been particularly challenging for our teams. Persistent heavy rainfall has caused significant and continuous damage to our road surfaces, causing a far higher number of potholes than in previous years.

“Works undertaken by utility companies can also weaken the road surface. While these works are often essential, they can create points where water can penetrate the road structure, contributing to further deterioration.

“In the first two months of this year, 4,252 potholes were repaired and that has increased further as drier weather has become more prevalent. This compares to 12,660 pothole repairs needing to be carried out over the whole of 2025.

“Temporary pothole repairs are sometimes necessary to make roads safe, but longer term fixes follow, involving more extensive patching or full resurfacing where required.

“The Council is using its resources as effectively as possible by delivering a broad programme of works across the network – from full reconstruction and resurfacing, to patching, surface treatments, and temporary make safe repairs

“Welsh Government has recently allocated an additional £10m to Cardiff for resurfacing, which will be invested over the next two years.

“Looking ahead, the Council is focused on maintaining the current pace of repairs, while expanding the use of permanent reinstatement as a first response rather than temporary fixes, and a trial of the latest repair techniques will take place, alongside the completion of existing resurfacing programmes.”