Reporting defects and potholes on the road
Things to consider
Please read the following before reporting a pothole to us:
- What are potholes and how are they caused?
- Who is responsible for fixing potholes?
- What information is required when reporting a pothole?
- What is an emergency and how should you report it?
- What happens once you have reported a pothole?
- How do we decide which potholes to fix first and when will they be repaired?
- Why are some potholes marked but not immediately repaired?
- Do we inspect the roads for potholes?
- How do you report a pothole?
1. What are potholes and how are they caused?
Potholes occur where an area of the road's surface has broken up and fallen out. Whilst we carry out regular inspection of the roads in Surrey for which we are responsible, we know that potholes and defects may arise between these inspections, particularly in late winter and early spring when the road network has been subjected to freezing and thawing cycles.
2. Who is responsible for fixing potholes?
We have a responsibility for the maintenance and repair of most roads in Surrey, including pavements, but we are
not responsible for:
- Private roads - these are the responsibility of the residents of each private road.
- Trunk roads and motorway networks that cross Surrey (A3, M23, M3 and M25). Any issues and questions about the A3, M23, M3 and M25, should be directed to the Highways Agency and not Surrey County Council.
3. What information is required when reporting a pothole?
What we need from you is:
- The location - Please provide as much detail as possible to identify the location of the pothole. Please include:
- road names;
- name of the junction or road and other easily identifiable landmarks;
- identifying features on the road such as a house name or number that the pothole appears outside; and
- the town/village name.
- Description of the pothole/defect - Please provide as much detail as possible and include:
- size of the pothole/defect including the width, length, depth; and
- location in the road surface (at the edge, in the middle etc).
- Your contact details - In case we need to contact you for more details, we ask that you provide us with your contact details.
Return to top
4. What is an emergency and how should you report it?
An emergency is a hazard that is an immediate threat to life or limb. If you are reporting an emergency please do not report it online, but ring our Contact Centre on 0300 200 1003.
5. What happens once you have reported a pothole?
We will:
- Schedule a site inspection - From the location details you provide, we will check if the issue is already known to us. If it is not, we will assign the task to the officer responsible for that area who will visit the site to assess the situation, this will include deciding how urgent the repair work is and when it can be scheduled into the works programme.
- Undertake the necessary repair - This may take the form of temporary signing to warn road users of the hazard or temporary or permanent repair. The permanent repair may be undertaken as part of a future planned maintenance programme dependent on the budget available and the scale and location of the defect.
- Monitor the quality of repair undertaken - Completed works are monitored to ensure the work undertaken is to the required standard and that the road has been made safe for public use.
6. How do we decide which potholes to fix first and when will they be repaired?
The level of response is dependent on the location, size and risk the pothole poses to public safety. This may result in the pothole either:
- being scheduled for repair within either one working day, 7 days or 28 days dependent on these factors; or
- being repaired as part of other programmed works; or
- being monitored as part of the routine inspections programme as the risk to public safety is not sufficient to merit any action.
7. Why are some potholes marked but not immediately repaired?
Potholes that have been marked have been inspected by a SCC Officer and are then prioritised for repair based on the size, depth and potential hazard for road users. Dependent on this, potholes will be repaired from within one working day to 28 days.
8. Do we inspect the highway for potholes?
We operate a highway safety inspection system following guidance in the code of practice for well-maintained highways. Potholes arising from this inspection are repaired within a timescale based on risk to the travelling public.
9. How do you report a pothole?
You can
report a pothole online or call us on 0300 200 1003.
Return to top
