Local highways maintenance transparency report

3.1 What is a pothole

Hartlepool Borough Council recognises a pothole on the road, or footway, as an isolated defect possibly caused by a localised weakness in the upper structure of the surface which has allowed external substances to ingress and cause the bitumen to break up. The months of January and February are usually the busiest months for pothole repairs as this is when water enters such a tarmac defect, freezes and thaws repeatedly causing rapid deterioration of the material.

Hartlepool Borough Council Highway Inspector identify potholes based upon a depth of 40mm (carriageway) or 20mm (footway) – the width / length of the pothole is not formally documented and is left to the discretion of the Inspector as to whether a repair is warranted. The Inspector has complete control regarding the timescale for any pothole repair and this will depend upon several factors including size, position, immediate location, traffic  / pedestrian volumes etc.

3.2 What we are doing to tackle potholes

Hartlepool Borough Council employs two highway inspectors who routinely check all areas of the town at least twice per year looking for potholes and other highway defects. They both work to in house developed Asset Management Strategy / Policy and a dedicated Inspection Manual both of which contain guidance to advise on inspection schedules, defect / repair criteria. An important part of the inspectors role is determining the timescale for the repair of a given pothole of which factors such as size and location will influence the decision making process. Repair timeframes for potholes consist of emergency (2 hour), 24 hour, 7 day and 28 day whereupon the latter usually consists of non hazardous potholes or where a permanent patch is being applied to a pothole repair which has recently undergone an emergency ‘make safe’. Quite often on higher speed roads a temporary repair will be carried out (sometimes after hours) and then this will be followed up with a permanent patch once the necessary traffic management has been arranged to enable a safe working environment for the repair team.

The table below indicates the quantity of pothole jobs that were raised by the Inspectors during the period April 2025 to March 2026. Please note that while the majority of pothole jobs constitute a single pothole for repair some include two or more if they are in a very localised area.

3.3 How members of public can report potholes and other highway defects

 Hartlepool Borough Council employs a number of alternatives to allow members of the public to report potholes for our attention, namely:

• Direct telephone call to customer service (01429 266522) where it can be possible to log a pothole or be transferred through to the Highways Team if required
• Email Highways@hartlepool.gov.uk
• Make use of ‘Fix my Street’
• Record a pothole via a dedicated user form on the Hartlepool Borough Council website | online contact form
• Approach a Highways Inspector whilst he is undertaking scheduled inspections

3.4 What happens after a pothole is reported 

Upon receipt of a pothole report the Highways Team will issue the notification to a Highways Inspector who is responsible for that corresponding area of the town whereupon an inspection will take place resulting in a decision as to whether a repair is carried out or not.

If an actionable defect is subsequently identified the Highways Inspector will raise an internal works order to have the repair carried out within a timeframe governed by the severity of the defect and the location upon which it resides.

An electronic works order is then uploaded to the works gangs’ handheld device who will carry out the repair and close down the instruction upon completion.