Potholes and road repair 2015-2020

For the purpose of these questions, please consider all references to a ‘pothole’ to be defined as any physical defect in the surface of the road which potentially poses a hazard to road users, such as potholes, sunken manhole covers, cracks in the tarmac or any other defect.

1.
a. How many potholes were reported to Devon County Council in each of the past five years for which data is available?

Whilst we have noted the definition of a pothole given in your question above, the data we hold relates to the definitions we hold within our road safety policy, a copy of which can be viewed online at: https://www.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/maintaining-roads/highways-safety-inspections/

2015 – 43886
2016 – 55853
2017 – 48281
2018 – 72906
2019 – 50930

b. How many of those potholes reported to Devon County Council, in each of the past five years for which data is available, failed to meet the required intervention criteria, as set by Devon County Council, due to insufficient depth, width or other factor? Please provide answers for each year individually. If it is not possible to provide data for the past five years for which data is available, please provide it for the last full year for which data is available.

2015 – data not held
2016 – data not held
2017 – data not held
2018 – data not held
2019 – 9765

2.
a. Does Devon County Council set target repair times depending on the seriousness of an identified pothole/defect?

Please refer to the online highway safety policy we have referred to above.

b. How many potholes/defects were repaired by Devon County Council in each of the past five years for which data is available?

2015 – 43701
2016 – 55806
2017 – 48177
2018 – 72338
2019 – 50309

c. Of those potholes repaired, how many were repaired within Devon County Council’s set target time, for each of the past five years for which data is available? Please provide answers for each year individually. If it is not possible to provide data for the past five years for which data is available, please provide it for the last full year for which data is available.

2015 – 38221
2016 – 48813
2017 – 39336
2018 – 49739
2019 – 43099

3.
a. How many miles of highway is Devon County Council responsible for maintaining?

8000

b. How many full-time equivalent staff does Devon County Council (DCC) currently employ to inspect its highway network to identify and classify highway defects or potential highway defects?

None. Highway Safety Inspectors are directly employed by the contractor and commissioned by DCC to deliver these inspections

c. How many full-time equivalent staff did Devon County Council directly employ to inspect its highway network to identify and classify highway defects on the 1st of January for each of the past four years (1/1/2016, 1/1/2017, 1/1/2018, 1/1/2019) . Please provide answers for each year individually. If it is not possible to provide data for the past four years for which data is available, please provide it for the last full year for which data is available

None. Highway Safety Inspectors are directly employed by the contractor and commissioned by DCC to deliver these inspections

.