Labour council slammed as ‘worst local authority for road repairs’ after fixing just one mile of road out of 136 that need mending
Plymouth City Council has been revealed as England’s worst performing local authority for road repairs, having fixed just one mile of road out of 136 miles that need maintenance.
Analysis of Department for Transport data shows more than a quarter of the city’s total road mileage requires repairs, yet only 0.7 per cent was actually fixed last year.
The Labour-controlled council, which has run the city since 2023, is facing mounting criticism from residents over the state of its roads.
Local motorist Chloe told The Telegraph: “Whenever I get my car checked, there’s always something up with my suspension because of the potholes.”
The findings come as part of a nationwide investigation into road maintenance standards across England.
On Durham Avenue, a steep residential street in St Jude’s, The Telegraph reports there were 15 potholes in just a 25m stretch, averaging 1.6 potholes per metre.
Residents reported the poor conditions to the council in 2023, saying they were forced to “slalom” up and down their road.
“The council doesn’t come out and fix them. Even though it was flagged a year ago, nothing’s changed,” said local resident, Cody Tobey.
Dave Allchin, a cyclist living on St Martin’s Avenue since 2015, added: “They’re everywhere and it’s rubbish for cyclists like myself.”
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The council states potholes must be at least 40mm deep and 300mm long to be considered for repair.
Stadium Garage in Pennycross reports fixing up to eight vehicles per week due to pothole damage.
“Customers are always blaming potholes when they come in,” said mechanic Izak Lee. “Their cars are falling apart at the seams. It’s a recurring issue.”
The damage includes punctures, cracked alloy wheels, and problems with link pins and coil pins.
Jacinta Allerston, from Torr Avenue, said: “My two-year-old always says ‘it’s a bit bumpy’ whenever we leave in the car.”
“I’m not really surprised that Plymouth is the worst at repairing potholes. Plymouth seems to be behind other councils on a whole range of things.”
The council has defended its record, stating the DfT statistics “do not reflect the true situation here” and blamed the previous Conservative administration for cutting highways budgets.
A council spokesman said their classified roads actually perform better than national averages, with two per cent of A roads needing repair compared to a four per cent national average.
The authority revealed it is trialling a ‘Velocity’ machine for permanent repairs “at a fraction of the cost with no excavation, no waste and no heat involved”.
The Government announced in December that Plymouth will receive an additional £1.175million this year to tackle potholes.