Partnership Calls For Pothole Warranties To Save Taxpayers' Cash
- Linda Andrews - Editorial Assistant, Family Business United
- Jan 19
- 2 min read
The Pothole Partnership is leading calls for five-year warranties to be given on pothole repairs to ensure delivery of permanent repairs – and help save cash for council taxpayers.
The Pothole Partnership was formed two years ago by the AA, JCB, British Cycling and the National Motorcyclists Council. The Partnership has consistently warned that much of the recently announced additional government funding to local authorities for pothole repairs is still being wasted on short-term fixes, with too many locations re-visited within 12 months.
The alliance marked National Pothole Day by calling for a minimum five-year warranty to be issued on every non-emergency pothole repair. It coincided with the publication of data which showed the AA was called out to 613,638 pothole incidents in 2025 – an average of 1,681 every day – including 58,380 last January and 58,275 in December.
Edmund King, president of the AA said:
“The Pothole Partnership is proposing that councils and contractors should be compelled to issue five-year warranties on every non-emergency pothole repair. Potholes not only damage cars, but they also put the lives of cyclists and motorcyclists at risk."
“The proposals for a five-year warranty would mean that if a contractor or sub-contractor fixes a non-emergency pothole, a warranty for that repair would be issued for five years. If a pothole reappears within five years, it would be repaired for free of charge under the warranty. This proposal has the potential to save money for council taxpayers but more importantly, ensure the pothole is repaired correctly first time.”
Digger maker JCB manufactures the JCB Pothole Pro which repairs potholes four times faster than traditional methods and at half the cost. JCB General Manager Ben Rawding said:
“Many councils across the UK are already reaping the benefits of using the JCB Pothole Pro which delivers a long-lasting repair to potholes which is faster and cheaper than the traditional manual methods. The proposed warranty scheme would be another great initiative to drive down costs for council tax payers and, crucially, ensure permanent repairs.”
