Hertfordshire County Council is calling on the Government for more funding to help repair potholes across the county, as rising costs and wet winter weather put increasing pressure on roads.

The council's Cabinet Member for Highways, Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, has written to the Department for Transport asking for urgent additional funding to help deal with the growing number of potholes. 

The county council says it is already investing heavily in road maintenance. From April, around £30 million will be spent on routine maintenance, including fixing potholes, with a further £107 million going towards highways and transport infrastructure in 2026/27, including resurfacing and reconstruction work designed to prevent potholes forming in the first place. 

Frontline teams have already carried out thousands of repairs this year. More than 5,700 potholes were fixed in February alone — a 44% increase compared to the same month last year — and over 12,000 potholes were repaired between January and mid-March. 

The council says one of the main reasons for the surge in potholes is the weather, with Hertfordshire experiencing 157% of its average rainfall between December and February, causing significant damage to road surfaces. 

Cllr Giles-Medhurst said that while Hertfordshire's roads are still rated among the best in the South East by the Department for Transport, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain them at the standard residents expect without additional government support. 

The call for extra funding comes as councils across the country face growing pressure to repair roads and tackle potholes, which can cause damage to vehicles and create safety issues for drivers and cyclists.

Residents can report potholes in Hertfordshire online via the county council's website.

advertisement