Pothole Partnership issues call for pothole warranties
Partnership marks National Pothole Day with call for five-year warranty on all non-emergency pothole repairs
THE Pothole Partnership was formed two years ago by the Automobile Association (AA), JCB, British Cycling, and the National Motorcyclists Council. The Partnership has consistently warned that much of the recently announced additional government funding to local authorities for pothole repairs is still being wasted on short-term fixes, with too many locations re-visited within 12 months.
Today, the alliance is marking National Pothole Day by calling for a minimum five-year warranty to be issued on every non-emergency pothole repair. It coincides with the publication of data which shows the AA was called out to 613,638 pothole incidents in 2025 – an average of 1,681 every day – including 58,380 last January and 58,275 in December.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: ‘The Pothole Partnership is proposing that councils and contractors should be compelled to issue five-year warranties on every non-emergency pothole repair. Potholes not only damage cars, but they also put the lives of cyclists and motorcyclists at risk.
‘The proposals for a five-year warranty would mean that if a contractor or sub-contractor fixes a non-emergency pothole, a warranty for that repair would be issued for five years. If a pothole reappears within five years, it would be repaired for free of charge under the warranty. This proposal has the potential to save money for council taxpayers but more importantly, ensure the pothole is repaired correctly first time.’
Partnership member JCB manufacture the JCB Pothole Pro, which repairs potholes four times faster than traditional methods and at half the cost. JCB general manager Ben Rawding said: ‘Many councils across the UK are already reaping the benefits of using the JCB Pothole Pro, which delivers a long-lasting repair to potholes that is faster and cheaper than the traditional manual methods. The proposed warranty scheme would be another great initiative to drive down costs for council tax payers and, crucially, ensure permanent repairs.’
