Every road-user in North Northants has noticed that potholes have become endemic on our roads. Many drivers have suffered burst tyres as a result.
The wet winter was blamed for the spread of potholes, but we are now in the hottest, driest summer for decades, yet the problem seems to have got worse, not better.
Last year, Reform UK took control of North Northants Council (NNC), with a promise to ‘fix all potholes’
Unfortunately, Reform-led NNC has been unable to keep their promise.
- Repairs at Record Low
The number of road repairs is at a record low. In June 2026, there were only 1,094 repairs, and July is likely to be under 700. Both months saw the fewest potholes fixed in a single month for years.
- Slow Repairs
NNC is supposed to fix P3 and P4 (minor) defects within 28 days, and 90 days respectively.
The goal is to fix 90% of these faults in the target time (28 or 90 days).
In both March and April 2026, only 70% of these defects were repaired in time.
In May, it was even worse, at 56%.
By contrast, last year, in June-December, the average figure was 93.31%.
The accompanying charts show vividly how pothole repairs have showed down.
