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Potholes reported and everything you need to know about potholes in Leeds!

  • Writer: Izaak Wilson
    Izaak Wilson
  • 41 minutes ago
  • 3 min read

With the bad weather potholes get worse. In this post we have:

  • a map of potholes we've reported, especially in the Cookridge/Tinshill area where there has been more of a problem

  • a guide to how the council prioritises tackling potholes and how more money is being invested to deal with them more efficiently and with longer lasting results

So read on!

Potholes reported - February 2026


Everything you need to know about potholes in Leeds


Potholes are one of the most common issues residents contact us about, so we wanted to explain clearly how potholes are dealt with in Leeds, why they keep appearing, and what we’re doing differently to fix them for good.


How big is the problem?


Leeds has a huge highway network to maintain:


  • Around 3,000km of roads

  • Over 5,600km of footways

  • Plus cycleways, bridges, drains, streetlights and more


That scale matters, because it affects how often roads can be inspected and repaired.


How are potholes found?


Potholes are identified in three main ways:


  1. Regular safety inspections

Leeds has 11 trained highways inspectors who carry out scheduled inspections of every road, at different intervals depending on how busy the road is. Any defect that meets national safety thresholds is logged for repair.


  1. Road condition surveys

Entire sections of road are scored for their overall condition, not just individual potholes. Roads in worse condition are prioritised for resurfacing or patching programmes.


  1. Reports from residents

Reports from the public genuinely matter and are often how problems are picked up quickly between inspections.


Leeds is also now using AI and camera-based surveys to help spot defects earlier and build a better picture of where problems are developing.


Why do potholes keep coming back?


A few key reasons:


  • Weather - 2023 was the second wettest year on record in England, the last couple of years we've had really bad cold snaps, and generally we're getting more and more record breaking weather (especially in Tinshill which has a bit of a micro climate!), and water getting into road surfaces is the biggest cause of potholes.

  • Traffic levels - especially because cars are getting bigger and heavier.

  • Older road surfaces that are already near the end of their life.


When roads are in poor overall condition, simply filling individual holes can be a short-term fix.


Temporary vs permanent repairs - what’s the difference?


Not all pothole repairs are the same.


  • Temporary repairs are quick and keep roads safe, but may not last long.

  • Permanent in-laid patch repairs take longer but last much longer and improve the road section as a whole.


In Leeds we are now deliberately shifting towards more permanent, first-time fixes, even if that means fewer “quick wins” in the short term.


What’s changing now?


Leeds is investing a new £1m programme, trialling new repair techniques to make repairs last longer as part of this year's patching programme:


  • JCB Pothole Pro – a specialist machine that cuts, cleans and repairs potholes more thoroughly in one operation.

  • Thermal Road Repair – uses infrared heat to re-work existing asphalt so repairs bond better.

  • Spray Injection Patching – faster sealing and filling for certain types of defects.


These are being tested so the council can move away from repeat repairs on the same stretches of road.


Why aren’t all roads fixed at once?


There is a very large national backlog in road maintenance, and Leeds is no exception. Roads are prioritised based on:


  • Safety risk

  • Condition data

  • Traffic levels

  • Cost-effectiveness


This means some roads need full resurfacing rather than repeated pothole repairs - and those schemes take longer to design and fund.


How you can help


If you spot a pothole:


  • Please report it via the council website - reports help inspectors target problem areas faster.

  • If you’ve reported something and it’s not been fixed, feel free to contact us and we can chase it with highways officers!


A final word


We know potholes are frustrating - especially when a repair doesn’t last as long as anyone would like. The focus now is on fewer repeat fixes, more permanent repairs, and better use of data so money goes further and roads stay in better condition for longer.


If you have specific roads in Weetwood you’re worried about, please do tell us.


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