•   Eight-out-of-ten local councils report fewer potholes last year vs 2018
•   Worst: Nottingham City Council recorded 81.2% increase in potholes
The number of new potholes, which are the cause of millions of pounds of damage to vehicles every year, fell by more than a quarter in 2019, according to local council data analysed by car selling comparison website Motorway.co.uk.
Â
More than 100 local councils responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by Motorway in February 2020. Councils were asked for the total number of new potholes reported in 2018 and 2019.
Â
The figures showed that potholes reported by council officers and the general public fell by 26% last year, with more than eight-in-ten (84%) councils seeing a drop in pothole numbers.
Â
Of the 16% of councils that reported a rise in new potholes last year, Nottingham (81.2%), Monmouthshire (63.2%), Cymru (47.1%), Bedford (45.5%) and St Helens (41.7%) all saw increases of at least 40%.
Â
Table: Local councils which recorded the biggest drop in new potholes reported in 2019 vs 2018.
 Local Council | Potholes reported for repair – 2018 | Potholes reported for repair – 2019 | % Increase/ (decrease) pothole reports |
Torbay | 1080 | 309 | -71.4 |
Southampton | 1870 | 736 | -60.6 |
Aberdeenshire | 21270 | 8846 | -58.4 |
Lincolnshire | 26012 | 11231 | -56.8 |
Leicestershire | 4807 | 2186 | -54.5 |
Trafford | 4599 | 2149 | -53.3 |
Powys | 609 | 286 | -53.0 |
Norwich | 561 | 264 | -52.9 |
Solihull | 2915 | 1483 | -49.1 |
Newcastle | 26516 | 13565 | -48.8 |
Orkney Islands | 816 | 423 | -48.2 |
Durham | 3613 | 1877 | -48.0 |
South Lanarkshire | 3829 | 2026 | -47.1 |
Peterborough | 946 | 503 | -46.8 |
Herefordshire | 4,614 | 2,466 | -46.6 |
Â