Norfolk County Council spent more than £7 million on pothole repairs between 2023 and 2026. Data obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests reveals a year-on-year increase in repairs costs.
The council’s pothole repair bill rose from £1.9 million in 2023/24, to £2.4 million in 2024/25, reaching £2.65 million in 2025/26. Across this period, the council dealt with 25,789 individual potholes once duplicate reports were removed. Additionally, the council paid over £147,000 in compensation for vehicle damage caused by potholes.
How the figures were gathered
The information was released by Legal Expert, a firm advising motorists who suspect potholes have damaged their vehicles or property. Although the numbers come directly from the council’s own records, it is important to note the source context when considering the data.
Norfolk County Council previously warned these figures should not be used to compare pothole costs between authorities. A spokeswoman stated different councils record and report costs in varying ways, complicating direct comparisons.
Reactive versus planned maintenance
The pothole repair costs represent only the reactive side of Norfolk’s road maintenance work. In early 2025, the council received an additional £15 million from government highways maintenance funding. Of this, approximately £1.7 million was earmarked for reactive pothole repairs and patching.
The remaining funding supported proactive activities such as surface dressing, resurfacing, highway recycling in fenland areas, and repairs to bridges and drainage. Norfolk’s Department for Transport maintenance allocation stood at £56 million in 2025/26 and is expected to increase to more than £83 million by 2029/30.
What this means for drivers and the sector
According to RAC spokesman Simon Williams, prolonged hot weather can cause road surfaces to become brittle and crack, potentially increasing pothole formation. The RAC reports that 83% of drivers encounter potholes on most journeys, with 54% meeting them on every trip.
The 25,789 pothole reports and £147,000 in compensation highlight the frequency and cost of pothole damage for Norfolk drivers. For maintenance contractors and UK highways authorities, the data raises questions about the balance of investment between reactive repairs and planned prevention.
A recent comparable study from West Sussex, which recorded a £4.85 million pothole repair bill, similarly emphasised the need for proactive highway maintenance strategies.
