Wiltshire Council says it is stepping up efforts to repair potholes across the county following weeks of heavy rainfall that have put additional strain on the road network.
Alongside routine highway maintenance crews, the council has asked its 18 Parish Stewards to prioritise pothole repairs that meet the council's repair criteria over the coming weeks in an effort to address the increasing number of issues being reported.
Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, said persistent rain throughout the start of the year had taken a toll on local roads.
He said: “We have now had persistent and heavy rain on nearly every day so far this year, and it’s taking a toll on our highways network.
“We have seen a rise in potholes on some Wiltshire roads and we’re working hard to address these issues as quickly as we can. So far this year we have repaired more than 2,700 potholes, and we are continuing to repair many more each day.
“Our teams are actively responding to residents’ reports, and to boost this effort we’ve asked our Parish Stewards to prioritise pothole repairs in their areas over the coming weeks.
“We were making progress on potholes - reports in 2025 fell by 28% compared to 2024 and we were also rated in the top 16 councils by the Department for Transport for having good local road conditions. The recent adverse weather has obviously highlighted that there is a lot more to do.
“We are investing an extra £5 million into preventative road maintenance over the next three years, in addition to government grant funding. This is the only way we can make our roads more resilient to the weather.
“I’d encourage anyone who spots a pothole to report it to us using MyWilts.”
When a pothole is reported it is inspected and scheduled for repair according to priority levels set out in the council’s highways inspection guidance. The most severe defects are typically repaired within one day, followed by other categories within two weeks or 28 days depending on urgency.
Major routes including the M4 motorway, A303 road and A36 road are managed by National Highways rather than the council, and issues on these roads should be reported directly to that organisation.
Residents can report potholes through the council’s MyWilts online service.
*photo - Wiltshire Council
Want to know what’s on in Calne? Visit our local events page for listings and to find out how to add your own events for free. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news. Have you got a story for us? Email editor@calnenews.com or contact us here.
