'Enough is enough' on potholes, say drivers

The AA had its busiest year for pothole-related incidents since 2018 last year

The scourge of many a motorist, potholes cost drivers nearly £500m in vehicle damage last year, according to figures from the AA.

The company said it had dealt with more than 630,000 pothole-related incidents nationally in 2023 - a five-year high.

Now a new Pothole Partnership has been set up to lobby for more investment in lasting road repairs.

The BBC spoke to people from across Yorkshire about the problem, its impact and what needs to be done to fix it.

"I'm sure I speak for every motorist when I say enough is enough."

Vaughan Thomas was driving into Leeds on the A64 when his wheel hit a pothole he says was around 1ft (30cm) long and 6in (15cm) deep.

He estimates the cost of the damage to his car to be at least £1,000.

Vaughan Thomas' car hit a pothole on the A64 at the beginning of this year, with costly consequences

"It’s not what you need in January," Mr Thomas tells BBC Look North.

"In many years of driving it's the biggest pothole I've ever encountered. It’s quite frustrating really.

"It’s something the council should be aware of and prioritising from a safety aspect more than anything."

The number of potholes in Leeds has risen by more than 40 per cent over the last year, according to council figures.

Local authorities often bear the brunt of motorists' anger, but they say they're not getting enough cash from central government to fix the problem.

"Maintaining a network of over 3,000km is an expensive business," says Gary Bartlett, Chief Highways Officer at Leeds City Council.

A drinks can illustrates the depth of the pothole Mr Thomas' car hit on the A64 in Leeds

"There hasn’t been the funds over the last decade or so, despite the council supplementing the funding we get from central government ourselves.

"All highways authorities are in a similar position."

The government recently announced an £8.3bn pothole repair package for councils, which it says marks an increase in funding of nearly a third.

But in South Yorkshire, some are dubious as to how much of a lasting impact the money will have.

Henry Knottage, who runs bike shop Tony Butterworth Cycles in Sheffield, says £8bn "seems like a lot, but then there's an awful lot of roads".

"When you spread it out across the country I’m not sure how thick that tarmac is going to be," Mr Knottage tells BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I’ve lived in Sheffield for 20 years and when I first moved here the number of potholes was a running joke.

"Repairs seem to be springing up faster. I don’t know if it’s because the repairs aren’t done to a sufficient standard, or because vehicles are getting heavier and heavier and causing more damage to the road than they’ve ever done."

Craig Carey-Clinch from the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) also has doubts about the money, saying it needs to be dished out to local authorities more quickly.

"Maybe it’s enough, maybe it isn’t," he says.

"But either way the money needs to be delivered up front, the work needs to be done and it needs to be permanent repairs. Temporary patch fixes aren’t going to deal with it."

Two groups representing motorcyclists are on the newly formed Pothole Partnership

The NMC is one of six groups, including the AA, that have formed the Pothole Partnership to lobby for resurfacing on behalf of road users.

But as well as damage to vehicles, potholes can also be a hazard for pedestrians.

Ann Lilley, who lives in the village of Birstwith, near Harrogate, broke her ankle after tripping over a bump in the road last year.

"I was walking up the street with my husband and grandson," she says.

"I got my ankle in the pothole, twisted it and I heard it snap. I fell to the floor and I had to walk home about 200-300 yards with a broken ankle."

Ann says the council filled the hole the "very next day", but that the same street remains littered with potholes.

"The rest of the village is an utter disgrace," she adds.

Ann Lilley broke her ankle tripping over a pothole near her home last year

North Yorkshire County Council has been contacted for comment.

AA President Edmund King says that road repairs are often in a "vicious cycle", where patchwork resurfacing often leads to the original pothole getting worse over time.

"Potholes are the number one concern for 96% of drivers and can be fatal for those on two wheels, so hopefully pressure from the Pothole Partnership will lead to permanent repairs," Mr King says.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].