The number of potholes reported this year to date has more than tripled compared to the number reported this time last year
Pothole reports in Peterborough have increased significantly since last year, according to Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment & Transport.
Speaking at the Full Council Budget meeting on Wednesday (February 25), Councillor Angus Ellis (Lab) said 2026 has already been a bad year for drivers across the city.
He said: “This year is worse than last year; up from January last year to where we are today, there were 231 reports. This year, so far, there are 787.”
Cllr Ellis suggested recent harsh weather conditions had been the driving force behind the exponential increase in road surface damage. “The cold weather followed by the extremely wet weather has created perfect conditions for potholes to form,” he said.
The councillor said road maintenance teams were working hard to get on top of the situation. “We have already fixed 2,431 by the end of January,” he said, “but there is more to do.”
Cllr Ellis highlighted how highways maintenance company M Group have deployed their specialist pothole-fixing utility vehicles – known as ‘Dragon Masters’ – to help resolve the issue.
“Since Monday, they have been fixing potholes,” he said, “and they’ve put an extra crew out there to fix potholes during the night.”