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Barnsley Council strengthens pothole response
We are taking action to address the sharp rise in potholes and road surface defects caused by recent severe winter conditions, including heavy rainfall, freezing temperatures and repeated freeze–thaw cycles.
The Highways team have developed a pothole response plan to help keep our road network safe over the next two months. The plan aims to increase staffing capacity, review internal processes and improve repair efficiency.
To make our roads safer in the short-term, we carry out temporary repairs when a pothole could put people at risk but the weather or conditions aren’t right for a permanent fix. We only record and repair potholes that are deeper than 40mm and wider than 150mm, so roads with some minor damage might not be repaired straight away.
While we carry out these short-term repairs, we’re also working on bigger, longer-lasting fixes and resurfacing roads. We will be investing just under £18.3 million (pending cabinet approval) into our highway network in the 2026-27 financial year, which will help improve road conditions across the borough over a longer period of time.
Councillor James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Highways, said:
"I want to reassure residents that we are taking action. Our teams are working hard to keep the borough moving and make our roads safe. We know how important this is to people, and we’re putting every available resource into strengthening our response.
"Our excellent teams continue carrying out emergency repairs when we need them, combined with a significant capital maintenance programme to improve our network over the long term to reduce the number of emergency repairs needed.
"While these weather‑related issues can’t always be prevented, we are acting quickly, prioritising safety, and ensuring longer‑term repairs continue across Barnsley.
"I’m grateful to everyone for their patience and to our dedicated staff who are going above and beyond to manage this increased demand."
How you can report a pothole
If you notice a pothole, please visit our report a pothole website. There, you can check which potholes have already been reported and learn how to provide detailed information when reporting a new one. This helps our team to address repairs more efficiently, avoid duplicated reports, and keep our roads safe.
