Council more than triples pothole crews as repairs surge

Cambridgeshire County Council says its teams are currently ‘working around the clock’ to fix potholes on the roads. The three months between January and February are considered ‘peak pothole season’ and to deal with the repairs, the number of crews has been increased from 8 to 30. 

At the end of January, the Council reported 5,400 potholes awaiting repair across Cambridgeshire. In a single week, its teams managed to repair 1,000 – and the extra resources are expected to significantly boost the number of fixes carried out. 

H&I’s County Councillor Ros Hathorn told HI HUB: “At this time of year we see a lot more road defects, with potholes forming simultaneously due to wet and freezing conditions. It’s really important to keep on top of the situation while also ensuring ongoing road maintenance continues.

“Our teams are working incredibly hard under intense pressure. I urge residents to log any potholes they find using the online reporting system, and to be patient and understanding as there has been a recent surge in cases.”

‘Record investment’ 

Councillors say the poor condition of roads reflects years of underinvestment in the highways network. Ros said: “When we stopped seeing our roads regularly resurfaced today’s situation became inevitable – and it’s going to take time before we start to notice signs of improvement.”

Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at the County Council, says “record amounts” are now being invested to get “ahead of the problem”. He said: “Driving, cycling or walking around the county there’s no getting away from the fact it’s pothole season and battling them is our top priority.” 

Since 2023/24, the County Council says it has increased the amount of capital funding spend on highways maintenance by £35m, from £24 to £59m. It also allocated more than £73m for highways maintenance in 2025/26 and recent budget proposals supported by the committee could add a further £20m in 2026/27.

H&I issues

Ros has also met with a highways maintenance officer covering H&I and published an article on the Liberal Democrat councillors’ website.

Potholes at Station Road, Butt Lane near the Recycling Centre, Milton Lane and Burgoynes Road were raised, along with the condition of Pepys Terrace. Residents are also being asked to re-report some historic issues such as the blocked gullies on Impington Lane after previous reports “fell off the system for technical reasons”.

‘Keep reporting’

Residents are encouraged to report highways issues using the Council’s upgraded online reporting tool, which allows users to track progress from initial report through to repair.

According to council guidance, large and deep potholes should be repaired within five days, while smaller hazards are typically fixed within 21 days. Emergency faults are always targeted for repair within five days.

Teams aim to carry out permanent repairs at the first visit. However, temporary fixes may be necessary in wet weather, with permanent work scheduled for when conditions improve. Each pothole repair costs around £50.  

Report a pothole or issue on the roads using Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways Reporting system. 

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5/2/2026 PM addition. Cambridgeshire County Council explained that it has upgraded the highways reporting tool to improve how customer reports are handled. A spokesperson said all existing highways reports have been moved to the new system. They added while residents may have “experienced occasional unexpected messages” from the new system, the Council is “continuing to fine-tune it”.