Highways maintenance transparency report 2026

Potholes and other road defects

North Northamptonshire Council defines a carriageway pothole as a defect that meets the investigatory level of 40mm or more in depth. A carriageway edge or verge defect is also investigated from 40mm depth, while footway and cycle lane defects are investigated from 20mm. 

Defects are not identified and repaired on depth alone: highway inspectors apply a risk-based assessment considering size, location, road hierarchy, traffic levels, vulnerable users and whether the defect lies in a wheel track or pedestrian desire line. Response times are: Emergency within 2 hours; P1 by end of next day; P2 within 7 days; P3 within 28 days; P4 within 90 days. 

Potholes form when water enters cracks in the road surface, weakens underlying layers and expands during freeze-thaw cycles. Repeated traffic loading then breaks away material, enlarging the defect.

What we are doing to tackle potholes

North Northamptonshire Council manages potholes through a risk-based inspection and maintenance regime. Safety defects are identified through planned inspections and public reports, assessed according to risk, and repaired within defined timescales. Our approach prioritises permanent repairs wherever it is safe and practical to do so, while also investing in preventative maintenance such as surface dressing and micro-surfacing to stop potholes forming in the first place. We seek to deliver durable, right-first-time repairs and minimise repeat visits; however, safety requirements, traffic management constraints, weather conditions, and the need to coordinate works with wider maintenance programmes can mean that temporary measures are occasionally required before a permanent repair can be completed. 

Our “no defect left behind” approach means that, when we attend a road to repair a pothole or other safety defect, we look to complete all suitable defect repairs within the same traffic management set-up wherever possible. This means that if crews are already on site, with cones, signs or temporary traffic signals in place, they will aim to repair nearby defects at the same time rather than leaving them for a future visit. This helps us make better use of time and resources, reduces the need for repeat visits and further disruption, and helps improve customer satisfaction by dealing with more issues in one visit.

In 2025/26 we fixed 17295 potholes and carried out an additional 45,200m2 of carriageway repairs.

How to report potholes and other highway defects

The public can report potholes to North Northamptonshire Council using its online reporting system. Reports can be made by entering a postcode, street name or area, using current location, or uploading a photograph, then marking the pothole on a map and providing details. 

The Council asks for photos where safe, contact details, a What3Words or grid reference, location description, and approximate pothole size and depth. Urgent safety issues should be reported by phone on 0300 126 3000, or 01604 651074 out of hours. 

Report online using the following link: North Northamptonshire Highways Online Reporting Tool.

What happens after a pothole is reported

When a pothole or highway defect is reported online or via telephone for urgent issues, we log it and send it to the right team to review. If it looks like it could be an immediate danger, we will deal with it as a priority. Other reports are checked by a highway inspector, who may visit the site, measure the defect and look at the risk. This includes where it is, the type of road, traffic levels and who it is likely to impact. If it meets our criteria, we arrange a repair and set a timescale based on the risk.

Last updated 25 August 2026