What is a reasonable time to repair a pothole?

6th July 2011

On 9 January 11 my husband hit a pothole which cost £253 to replace the wheel. Kent County Council say they inspected the road on 14 Dec 2010, noted the defect and programmed it for repair. Our accident happened 26 days later and we challenged KCC's refusal to pay because the pothole had not been marked or drivers warned in any way, nor any repairs done. The road is narrow and unlit and the pothole is invisible in the dark. KCC still deny all liability because they say they have discharged their duties under the Highways Act 1980 and they only need to repair it within a reasonable period of time. How long is 'reasonable' and is there anything further we can do?

Replies (1)

Potholes.co.uk Expert     posted : 07/07/11 at 9:21 am

Download the national code of practice (have a look at our step by step guide for a link) and ask why they did not conform with it. The national code says repairs to dangerous potholes should be undertaken within 24 hours.

Perhaps they read it wrong!