Durham County Council has the most potholes of any UK authority, according to new research by Cycle SOS, a medical negligence and personal injury practice.
Freedom of Information requests submitted to every UK council revealed that Durham CC reported 66,721 potholes in 2024.
This is nearly double the number of potholes of second-place Cambridgeshire, which reported just over 36,000.
“A postcode lottery”
“A postcode lottery in road maintenance means some councils are tackling thousands more potholes than others, leaving cyclists vulnerable to accidents and injuries,” says Cycle SOS.
“With repair times ranging from just 24 hours to over a month, the findings highlight a growing concern for road safety, especially as more people turn to cycling for commuting and leisure.”
The council with the third most potholes was Norfolk, which reported more than 35,000 potholes.
Durham, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk therefore account for 37.7 per cent of all potholes reported in the top 20 areas, according to Cycle SOS.
With the 10th most potholes, Northumberland saw the biggest rise in pothole reports. Cycle SOS said the county had a 6,642 per cent jump between 2022 and 2024 – but this was due to a new reporting scheme.
“Reports surged from just 171 to 11,529, largely due to the introduction of a new online reporting system. While the tool empowers residents to flag road defects more easily, the sharp increase also highlights how underreported issues may have been in previous years,” says Cycle SOS.
North Northamptonshire Council also saw a rise in reported potholes, with an increase of 973 per cent between 2022 and 2024.
“This sharp growth points to improved reporting mechanisms and growing concerns over road conditions,” says Cycle SOS.
Darlington and Wigan also saw an increase in pothole reports of 231 per cent and 181 per cent, respectively.
Not all bad news
Cycle SOS, which works in partnership with Cycling UK on its ‘Fill That Hole’ campaign, also revealed that it’s not all bad news in the world of UK potholes.
The Isle of Anglesey recorded the most dramatic decrease in pothole reports, down over 91 per cent from 3,461 in 2022 to 299 in 2024.
However, Cycling SOS says the sharp fall “may be influenced by reporting changes”.
The London boroughs of Sutton and Westminster have also seen a reduction in “defect reports” of 82 per cent and 41 per cent.
Councils with the most reported potholes in 2024
| Rank | Council | Reported potholes in 2024 |
| 1 | Durham County Council | 66,721 |
| 2 | Cambridgeshire County Council | 36,409 |
| 3 | Norfolk County Council | 35,442 |
| 4 | Leeds City Council | 35,410 |
| 5 | Hertfordshire County Council | 26,027 |
| 6 | Leicestershire County Council | 21,810 |
| 7 | Essex County Council | 19,275 |
| 8 | West Northamptonshire Council | 17,036 |
| 9 | Central Bedfordshire Council | 12,593 |
| 10 | Northumberland County Council | 11,529 |
