More on potholes and flooding

We're pasting below a long but worth reading update on potholes - why we’re getting more this winter than ever before, and what the council is doing about it.

Please also take a look at how to report drainage and gully problems and our earlier guide to potholes and what we're reporting.

“All of our inboxes are currently filling with pothole related casework, soI am writing to update you on the significant pressures currently affecting our highways service following the recent period of heavy and persistent rainfall across Leeds.

As an example, last week, we received around 300 reports for potholes when we would ordinarily expect 30.

So I hope to firstly detail why this has happened, and also what we are doing in both the immediate and longer term to address this.

A number of you have written to me directly, and I’ll be replying individually to your specific queries in the very near future, but for now I was keen to get this information out to all Councillors right away.

1. Why the recent weather is causing such a sharp increase in potholes

Leeds has experienced an unusually long spell of continuous rainfall over recent weeks. When the network remains saturated for this length of time:

• Water penetrates small cracks in the road surface

• The layers beneath weaken

• Passing traffic forces the damaged surface to break apart

• Potholes form more rapidly and more frequently than under normal conditions

This cycle has been repeating since mid-December due to the prolonged wet weather, accelerating the rate at which defects develop. This pattern is consistent with what many local authorities across the country are reporting — it is a national issue, driven by weather rather than local operational factors.

2. Impact of this recent weather

Analysis of pothole reports over the main winter months (December, January, and February to date) shows a very substantial increase in reported carriageway defects this year compared with the same months last winter. For consistency, February data for both years covers reports logged up to 10 February.

Across these three months:

• 2025/26: 7,667 pothole reports

(Dec 2025: 1,766 + Jan 2026: 3,632 + Feb 2026: 2,269)

• 2024/25: 3,108 pothole reports

(Dec 2024: 706 + Jan 2025: 1,803 + Feb 2025: 599 for equivalent period)

This represents a 147% increase in pothole reporting across the same core winter months.

Key monthly comparisons:

• January 2026: 3,632 reports

↑ 102% compared with January 2025: 1,803 (even January ’25 was itself exceptionally busy)

• December 2025: 1,766 reports

↑ 150% compared with December 2024: 706

• February 2026 (to date): 2,269 reports

↑ 279% compared with February 2025 (same period): 599

This sharp rise coincides with the extended period of heavy and persistent rainfall the city has experienced since December. The sustained saturation of the road network has significantly accelerated deterioration, causing defects to appear faster and in greater numbers than in a typical winter.

3. Operational response and current challenges

Our highways teams are working extremely hard to respond to enquiries, and we have taken the following immediate actions:

• Deployed all available repair crews citywide (7 Highway Services Teams) dedicated to reactive pothole repairs across the city

• Introduced extended working hours where possible to increase repair capacity

• Prioritised safety critical defects with a risk based approach, in line with national guidance, to ensure the most safety critical potholes are repaired first

• Focused inspections on higher risk and repeat locations

However, due to the exceptional number of defects, enquiries are currently being received faster than they can be repaired safely. As a result, there will be delays to some routine responses, inspections, and nonurgent repairs over the coming weeks.

Once the network can dry out and stabilise, the rate of new pothole formation will reduce, enabling teams to make steady progress on the backlog over the next few weeks.

4. Supporting communications with residents

We would appreciate Members’ support in helping to manage expectations during this challenging period.

Key messages that may be helpful include:

• Leeds has experienced an exceptional and prolonged period of rainfall, leading to a sharp increase in potholes

• January and February 2026 are significantly above normal winter levels

• Crews are prioritising urgent and safety critical defects first

• Routine repairs may take longer than usual due to the volume of reports

• All enquiries are logged, prioritised, and scheduled - no reports are ignored

5. Looking to the future

Already we have been looking at how new technologies and equipment can help us tackle these road repairs in the most effective and efficient way possible. 

Two weeks ago, Cllr Bithell (as the relevant Scrutiny Chair) and I went to look at a JCB Pothole Pro in action on Scott Hall Road and were impressed at the speed and quality of its work.  This is one potential option, we are looking into more to ensure that we invest in the right solution for our city.

We are investing an additional £13 million of capital funding into highways maintenance annually to support this repair work because we know how important this is.

Further updates will be provided as conditions improve.

6. Flood risk management

Given the continued wet weather, our Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) teams are working closely with the Environment Agency to monitor both forecasts and realtime conditions across Leeds. In recent weeks we have seen an increase in localised flooding incidents, affecting isolated properties, parts of the highway network, and areas where surface water runoff from saturated land is particularly pronounced.

While such activity is typical for the time of year, the current wet period has been unusually prolonged. We are also mindful of heightened media focus due to significant flooding impacts seen elsewhere in the country.

At this stage, we have not experienced internal property flooding in Leeds, nor the scale of impacts reported in other regions. However, duty officers have experienced increased activity, ensuring all reported incidents are investigated promptly and that Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme (LFAS) assets are ready for operation when required. River levels along the Aire have approached operational trigger points several times in recent weeks, and recent weekly handover sessions have placed greater emphasis on current conditions to support rapid mobilisation if needed.

Duty officer rotas are being actively monitored, and the Duty Flood Risk Manager is taking a proactive approach to standby arrangements. LFAS assets remain fully ready for deployment, and contractors continue to proactively inspect and maintain over 200 known flooding ‘hotspot’ locations across the city.

More broadly, the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. The melting of polar ice alters global sea temperatures, which in turn affects major atmospheric systems such as the Jet Stream. These shifts contribute directly to the more extreme and prolonged weather patterns the UK is now experiencing — from extended dry spells and summer droughts to the sustained periods of heavy rainfall seen in recent weeks.

Our FCRM teams will continue to monitor the situation closely and will escalate any changes to Leeds’ flood risk profile at the earliest opportunity."