Citroën Finds That Councils Could Have Filled Over 30 Million Potholes In 2024 With A Standardised Approach To Repairs

Citroën has found that UK councils could have repaired more than 17 times the number of potholes filled in 2024 if all councils paid the lowest amount possible for a single planned pothole repair. A Freedom of Information request submitted by Citroën to local authorities across England, Scotland, and Wales highlighted that councils had significantly different processes and, therefore, different costs for reactive and planned pothole repairs. The significant differences in costs between councils means a potential 33.3 million potholes could have been filled in 2024, as opposed to the 1.89 million filled in the same year*, if all councils carried out repairs at the lowest rate.  

The 2025 ALARM Report, the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey commissioned by The Asphalt Industry Alliance, found that 52% of roads had less than 15 years’ structural life remaining and that it would cost a one-off investment of £16.81 billion to bring the road network up to the ‘ideal’ condition*. The ALARM report also found that the average cost for a reactive and planned pothole repair was £72.37. However, new Freedom of Information research from Citroën has found that the Shetland Islands Council spent up to £656 per single planned pothole repair in 2024, with Shropshire Council and Coventry City Council spending £654 and £633.90, respectively, per single planned pothole repair in 2024. In comparison, Cardiff Council spent as little as £4.13 on a single planned pothole repair in 2024, highlighting a significant disparity between local authorities.

As with repair costs of a pothole, there is not a standard definition of what depth constitutes a pothole. The 2025 ALARM Report suggests that around three-quarters of surveyed councils use a guideline depth of 40mm to define a pothole.

In total, 1.89 million potholes were filled in 2024*, including reactive and planned repairs. If all of these potholes were filled at the rate of the most expensive council repair (£656), the cost would be £1.24 billion, £1.23 billion more than if the planned potholes were filled at the cheapest rate (£4.13), which would total £7.84 million across the country. If a standardised approach was adopted following the lowest amount spent by a British council, £4.13 in Cardiff, the Shetland Islands Council could have filled nine times more potholes in 2024, providing significant support to the estimated 12-year backlog in pothole repairs across the UK.

The UK Government has committed to giving British councils an additional £1.6 billion for pothole repairs**. If all councils spent £4.13 per single planned pothole repair, like Cardiff Council, the government’s £1.6 billion investment could fund 387 million potholes based on the 2024 figures. This is compared to only an additional 2.4 million more potholes being filled if all councils spent £656 per pothole repair, the most expensive rate for a single planned pothole repair. This highlights that without a standardised approach being adopted across Great British councils, the Government’s additional £1.6 billion is at risk of being wasted.

Potholes have caused councils to spend a total of £19.7 million in compensation related to road defect damage*. Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® programme is designed to mitigate the impact on occupants of hitting uneven road surfaces. Available across Citroën's car range, including New ë-C3, Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® suspension integrates hydraulic bump stops into the suspension system to better control compression and rebound on damaged surfaces. Citroën Advanced Comfort® seats also feature innovative design, combining high-density foam in the seat centre and thick textured foam on the surface, to offer ultimate comfort to passengers.

Greg Taylor, Managing Director Citroën UK, said: “Road conditions in Great Britain continue to deteriorate year-on-year and our data highlights the issues around pothole repairs, in particular the considerable overspending on planned and reactive pothole repairs because of a non-standardised approach to maintenance. We're glad that the Government has committed to give councils an additional £1.6 billion to repair potholes, but without a standardised approach, this money is at risk of being wasted. We're proud to offer a range of vehicles, including New ë-C3, that feature Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® programme, which supports occupants’ comfort even when hitting a road defect.”

The highest spending councils for a single planned pothole repair were:

1. The Shetland Islands Council - £656
2. Shropshire Council - £654
3. Coventry City Council - £633.90
4. North Lanarkshire Council - £479.78
5. Argyl and Bute Council - £513.01

The lowest spending councils for a single planned pothole repair were:

1. Cardiff Council - £4.13
2. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council - £18.06
3. London Borough of Southwark - £34.75
4. East Riding of Yorkshire Council - £35
5. Worcestershire County Council - £43.27

Discover Citroën  Find A Dealer