I am writing to request the following information in relation to potholes and associated vehicle damage within your local authority area. Please provide figures for the most recent full calendar year (or financial year, if easier):

1. The number of potholes reported (monthly breakdown if possible).
The number of potholes reported per month for financial year 2024-25 is shown in the table below:
Apr-24: 136
May-24: 89
Jun-24: 59
Jul-24: 77
Aug-24: 27
Sep-24: 34
Oct-24: 56
Nov-24: 64
Dec-24: 100
Jan-25: 214
Feb-25: 275
Mar-25: 172

2. The average number of calendar days between a pothole being reported and repaired.
Road repairs are assigned different priorities depending on a risk assessment based on the location, size of the road defect, etc. This is explained in Volume 2 (Highway Network Maintenance) of the Wokingham Highways Maintenance Management Plan (HMMP), which is available online at:

Highways Maintenance Management Plan: https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/roads/road-maintenance/highways-maintenance-management-plan

Road repairs can be assigned a priority of emergency (2 hour response), urgent (24 hour response), or no immediate or imminent hazard to highway users (28 days). Accordingly, an average response time cannot be calculated for all categories of pothole.

3. The percentage of reported potholes repaired within:
o 7 days
o 14 days
o 28 days
In financial year 2024-25, the percentage of potholes repaired within a 28 day response time was 58%. As explained in the response to question 2, there are no 7 or 14 day response times for road defects, and therefore no information is available.

4. The number of vehicle damage claims submitted as a result of potholes.
5. The number of pothole-related claims accepted and the total amount of compensation paid.
6. If recorded, the types of vehicles (make/model or vehicle category) involved in these damage claims.
The council records claims by calendar year, not by financial year. We have therefore provided our answer for the 2024 calendar year. In 2024, 81 claims were notified to the council’s insurance team and/or insurers from drivers alleging “pothole” damage to their vehicles. Twenty-three of these claims have been paid at a total of £9,112.84. When a claim is made, details of the make, model, and type of vehicle damaged are not always given (whether in the claim submission, in any photos, on the invoice etc.) and we are therefore unable to answer this question other than to advise that the majority of claims are for damage to private cars.