Pledge to fix potholes and improve County Durham roads

Durham County Council has introduced new initiatives designed to make the road network safer and improve its overall score. 

The condition of roads and whether the authority followed best practice were rated amber by the government. The council’s spending on road repairs was rated green. 

A new mapping tool by the Department for Transport rates 154 local highway authorities as red, amber, or green based on road conditions and their effectiveness in spending the Government’s road maintenance funding.

Reform politicians in charge of Durham County Council made fixing the region’s potholes a key priority while campaigning ahead of the local elections in May 2025. Last April, the party said there were 65,000 potholes in the county, equating to 27 potholes per mile. 

Figures show the local authority has carried out 129,838 pothole repairs between January 2022 and September 2025. The council said it received the same number of reported potholes across the same time period. 

Councillor Tim McGuinness, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for rural, farming and transport, said: “We welcome the Department for Transport’s recent release of national road condition data. The data covers a period before the local elections took place in May 2025, and its publication is an opportunity for us to continue to target support where it’s most needed and build upon the work we are already undertaking to maintain a safe, resilient, and high-quality highway network.

“Improving and maintaining our highways is a top priority for this council and we are leading the way in adopting innovative technologies to enhance our work in this area.

“The introduction of enhanced computer-based systems and artificial intelligence in highway inspections and condition monitoring is helping us identify the right treatment at the right time. This ensures resources are used efficiently and effectively.

“We have also launched a preventative pothole programme, repairing carriageways before potholes form.”

County Durham will receive a share of £22 million from the North East Combined Authority to fund road repairs between 2026 and 2027. 

Cllr McGuinness added: “These initiatives are already making a positive difference and, by working with partners, sharing best practice, adopting new technologies and continuing to put additional investment into highway maintenance, we can ensure County Durham’s roads remain safe, sustainable, and fit for the future.”

In neighbouring authority Darlington, the borough’s roads received an overall green rating after demonstrating they followed “best practice”. The Department for Transport said highly-rated authorities had invested in long-term preventative measures rather than just patching up potholes, while also maintaining good road conditions.

Total local road maintenance funding for England provided by the Government in the 2025/26 financial year was nearly £1.6 billion, representing a £500 million uplift compared with the previous 12 months.

Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.

The RAC estimates a typical repair bill for a family car suffering pothole damage beyond a puncture is £590.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.

“Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.

“This Government’s record investment will save drivers money on repairs, make roads safer and help restore pride in our communities.”