Swindon: 14,411 potholes filled in a single year
Swindon Borough Council filled 14,411 potholes in 2023/24 — more than double the 6,000 recorded in 2020/21 — while its own transparency report describes gradual condition deterioration across all road classes over five years. The DfT rates overall maintenance, condition, spend and best practice AMBER for 2025/26. Historic capital funding, the council states, was roughly a third of that deemed necessary to hold the network steady.
What the condition data shows
Five years of SCANNER and Coarse Visual Inspection data from Swindon Borough Council's June 2025 transparency report — deterioration across every road class
A-roads (74km — 8.4% of network): worsening at the red end
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.0% | 22.9% | 75.1% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | 25.7% | 71.5% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | 23.1% | 74.5% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | 26.6% | 70.4% |
| 2024 | 3.7% | 25.7% | 70.6% |
A-roads are surveyed annually under SCANNER, but RED condition has nearly doubled from 2.0% to 3.7% since 2020. Green A-roads have fallen from 75.1% to 70.6%.
B and C roads (165km — 18.6% of network): green share falling
| Year | Red | Amber | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.0% | 25.0% | 71.0% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | 23.9% | 72.4% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | 24.0% | 72.3% |
| 2023 | 4.7% | 26.9% | 68.4% |
| 2024 | 5.4% | 29.6% | 65.0% |
B and C roads are surveyed over a two-year cycle — around half the network each year. RED condition has risen from 4.0% to 5.4%, amber from 25.0% to 29.6%, and green has fallen from 71.0% to 65.0%. Over a third of the classified local network now needs — or will soon need — maintenance.
DfT AMBER spend on an under-funded network
Swindon projects more than double its DfT capital allocation in 2025/26, with an estimated 80% preventative share. Yet the DfT still rates spend AMBER — and the council's own report attributes deterioration to historic capital levels previously calculated as roughly a third of that needed to prevent further decline. In five years to 2024/25, just 45.1km of carriageway received resurfacing or surface treatment on an 886km network.
The 647km residential majority
73% of Swindon's network is unclassified roads — surveyed by Coarse Visual Inspection, not SCANNER
| Year | U-roads in RED condition |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9% |
| 2021 | 9% |
| 2022 | 9% |
| 2023 | 13% |
| 2024 | 11% |
Coarse Visual Inspection and the two-year cycle
Swindon surveys U-roads using Coarse Visual Inspection — a different methodology from the SCANNER laser surveys used on classified roads. Data is collected over a two-year period, with around half the unclassified network surveyed each year.
At 13% RED in 2023, roughly 84km of residential and estate roads were in the worst condition category — on a road type where most Swindon motorists live and park.
PAS 2161 from 2026/27
Swindon's report notes that from 2026/27 a new BSI PAS 2161 methodology will replace the current three-category RED/amber/green system with five condition bands nationwide.
Until then, the published five-year trend is directly comparable — and the council's own words describe it as gradual deterioration across all road classes.
Why this matters for Section 58
To rely on the Section 58 defence, Swindon must show a reasonable system for knowing road condition. For the 647km U-road network, ask:
- • When was your road last Coarse Visual Inspection-surveyed — and was it in a surveyed half that year?
- • If 11–13% of U-roads were RED at recent surveys, what was done about yours?
- • Does a two-year survey cycle on 73% of the network meet the standard for knowing defect risk?
- • Can the council prove inspection frequency matched deterioration on a network filling 45,073 potholes in five years?
A borough producing 14,411 pothole fills in a single year is, by definition, a network where defects routinely form between inspections.
45,073 potholes in five years
Reactive repair volumes from Swindon Borough Council's own transparency report — and what the spike tells you
| Year | Potholes filled |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 6,000 |
| 2021/22 | 6,500 |
| 2022/23 | 7,932 |
| 2023/24 | 14,411 |
| 2024/25 | 10,230 |
| Five-year total | 45,073 |
~25 defects a day, every day
Averaged over five years, Swindon fills around 25 potholes per day. For 2025/26 the council estimates 9,000 fills — still well above the 2020/21 baseline. A network producing defects at this rate is one where potholes routinely form between inspections.
Structural treatment lagging behind
In the five years to 2024/25, Swindon treated 45.1km of carriageway with resurfacing and surface treatments — roughly 5% of the 886km network. The 2025/26 programme adds a further 13.5km (8.4 miles). Reactive filling at scale without matching structural renewal is exactly the pattern the council links to gradual deterioration.
The council's own explanation
Swindon Borough Council on why conditions have slipped — and what it plans to review
“The condition of local roads in Swindon Borough have been on a trend of gradual condition deterioration over the past 5-years. This trend has been fairly similar across all road classes. The primary cause of this deterioration is deemed to be the historic low levels of capital funding available annually for major carriageway maintenance in the Borough, previously calculated as being roughly a third of that deemed necessary to keep the road condition at a steady state.”
— Swindon Borough Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
“It remains key to the Council's asset-driven funding approach that maintenance schemes continue to be selected on a needs-led basis in line with the Asset Management Strategy. However, it is recognised that there is community concern regarding highway defects that are outside the intervention criteria set out in the policy and are not therefore being addressed. The Council will therefore further review the Highway Asset Management Policy in light of these concerns.”
— Swindon Borough Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025)
What this admission means
Swindon formally acknowledges five-year deterioration and links it to under-funding of major carriageway works. It also recognises defects below its intervention threshold that are not being addressed — the same class of defect that may still cause vehicle damage.
Documented systemic under-investment informs what a “reasonable” maintenance system should achieve on an £1.8bn highway asset.
Questions worth asking
- • Did your pothole meet Swindon's 30mm safety-defect threshold at the time of your incident?
- • Was it reported before you hit it — and if so, was the 40mm next-day repair standard met?
- • If the defect was below intervention criteria, was it still a known hazard on a RED-surveyed road?
- • Was your road on the 2025/26 resurfacing programme (3km A, 5.75km B, 750m C, 4km U)?
Claiming against an all-AMBER council
Honest assessment: Swindon scores AMBER on every DfT scorecard for 2025/26 — here is how that shapes your approach
What works in the council's favour
- ✓ ISO-aligned asset management policy approved February 2022
- ✓ A-roads surveyed annually under SCANNER
- ✓ Documented intervention policy and streetworks permit scheme since 2021
- ✓ 40mm+ potholes targeted for next-working-day repair
Expect a documented Section 58 defence on well-inspected A-roads with clear repair logs.
What works in yours
- ✗ AMBER condition — deterioration across A, B/C and U-roads since 2020
- ✗ AMBER spend — historic capital at roughly a third of steady-state need
- ✗ 647km U-roads on two-year Coarse Visual Inspection cycle
- ✗ 45,073 pothole fills in five years — defects forming faster than renewal
- ✗ Council reviewing policy because defects below intervention criteria go unaddressed
The winning strategy here is specificity
With AMBER across every DfT scorecard, your claim lives or dies on the specific defect:
- • Prior reports of the same pothole (FixMyStreet, Swindon online reports) — proof of actual notice
- • Photos showing the defect's size, depth and visible age (weathered edges, previous patching)
- • The road's class — on a U-road, the two-year survey gap and 11–13% RED share are structural arguments
- • Whether the pothole met Swindon's 30mm/40mm thresholds and repair timescales at the time of your incident
Mac builds exactly this case: he searches for prior reports, assesses your photo evidence, and cites Swindon's own transparency data where it helps you.
Report the pothole to Swindon first
Swindon encourages residents to report potholes online. Reports receive an automated acknowledgement with a unique tracking code and a follow-up email on the investigation outcome. Potholes at least 30mm deep are risk-assessed as safety defects; those over 40mm are repaired the next working day. Around 30% of public reports fall outside standard investigation criteria — keep your reference number regardless.
Report a pothole to Swindon Borough CouncilIf the pothole is on the M4 or A419, report it to National Highways instead. Keep your reference number and any confirmation emails.
Hit a pothole in Swindon?
An all-AMBER council still owes a duty of care on the specific defect. £35 for a professional claim pack.
DIY claim
- • Submit photos and invoices
- • Use generic template letter
- • No two-year U-road survey gap argument
- • No 14,411 pothole peak cited
- • No prior-report search
Professional claim pack
- ✅ Five-year deterioration and under-funding admission documented
- ✅ U-road RED rise and Coarse Visual Inspection cycle argued
- ✅ 45,073 pothole fills and 30mm/40mm threshold context cited
- ✅ Prior reports searched and attached
- ✅ Section 58 rebuttal tailored to Swindon
No percentage fees. You keep 100% of any compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Swindon spends more than double its DfT allocation — why is the spend scorecard still AMBER?
The DfT rates Swindon AMBER on spend because aggregate investment has not kept pace with network need. Swindon's own transparency report states historic capital funding for major carriageway maintenance was “roughly a third of that deemed necessary” to hold condition steady. Your claim still turns on Section 58 and the specific defect — not the scorecard colour alone.
What if my pothole was on a residential or unclassified road?
Unclassified roads make up 647km — 73% of Swindon's 886km network — and are surveyed using Coarse Visual Inspection rather than SCANNER, with around half the network measured each year. RED-condition U-roads rose from 9% in 2020–2022 to 13% in 2023 before easing to 11% in 2024. That two-year survey cycle creates gaps in network-level condition knowledge under Section 58.
Does Swindon's 30mm pothole threshold affect my claim?
Swindon's repair guidance states a pothole must be at least 30mm deep to be classed as a safety defect, with those over 40mm repaired the next working day. Around 30% of public reports fall outside standard investigation criteria. Liability under Section 41 is not defined by the repair threshold — prior reports, photos showing defect age, and evidence the pothole posed a hazard before your incident all matter.
Why did pothole fills peak at 14,411 in 2023/24?
Swindon filled 14,411 potholes in 2023/24 — up from 6,000 in 2020/21 and 7,932 in 2022/23 — the same period its own report describes as a trend of gradual condition deterioration across all road classes. When reactive filling spikes while B/C green condition falls from 71% to 65%, defects are forming faster than structural renewal can keep pace.
The M4 and A419 are not Swindon's responsibility — who do I claim against?
Swindon Borough Council's transparency report explicitly states it is not responsible for the M4 motorway or A419 — National Highways maintains those routes. If your damage was on either road, report it to National Highways and pursue your claim against them. Swindon's data covers HMPE roads within the borough only.
Does the council's admission about under-funding help my claim?
It provides useful context. Swindon's June 2025 report states the primary cause of five-year deterioration is “historic low levels of capital funding” previously calculated at roughly a third of that needed for steady-state condition. That is documented knowledge of systemic under-investment — which informs what a “reasonable” inspection and repair system should achieve on an 886km network producing 45,073 pothole fills in five years.
Do I need to report the pothole before claiming?
Swindon encourages residents to report potholes online; reports receive an automated acknowledgement with a unique tracking code and a follow-up email on the investigation outcome. Reporting creates a dated council record — useful if the defect was known before your incident, or if Swindon failed to repair a qualifying pothole within its stated timescales (next working day for 40mm+ defects).
Data sources: Department for Transport — Local Road Maintenance Ratings 2025 to 2026 | Swindon Borough Council Local Highways Maintenance Transparency Report (June 2025). Pothole repair thresholds and reporting guidance from Swindon Borough Council — Repairing Swindon's roads. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.