Reaction as pothole reports in Northern Ireland reach five-year high for January

Last month was the worst January for potholes across Northern Ireland in the past five years, exclusive analysis of official data shows.

DUP MP Carla Lockhart the number and size of potholes has been worsened by the recent spell of freezing weather.

She said that she is regularly contacted by people whose vehicles have been damaged by faulty road surfaces.

The Upper Bann MP is encouraging anyone in her constituency who have issues with roads to get in touch: “Issues can go unnoticed for some time unless reported. I would much prefer that we get roads repaired, rather than deal with the consequences of damage caused by poor roads.

"That is why I am asking for people right across Upper Bann to get in touch if they have any potholes or subsidence on their local roads, so that I can bring these to the attention of the Department for Infrastructure."

The Department for Infrastructure said there had been “under-investment in the maintenance of the road network for many years, resulting in the deterioration we are now experiencing”.

A spokesperson said budget cuts meant only the highest priority defects were currently being repaired.

There were 4,089 potholes reported across Northern Ireland last month, more than double the number reported last January.

A third (33%) have yet to be assessed by repairs teams, more than half (55%) have been either dealt with or assessed as not meeting the threshold for repair and the rest (11%) are scheduled for repair, as of February 2.

Newry, Mourne and Down had the most potholes reported last month, at 563, followed by Ards and North Down with 496 and Antrim and Newtownabbey with 489.

More than 11,000 reports of potholes were made to the authorities in Northern Ireland last year.

Ards and North Down was the council area with the most potholes reported with 1,731.

And it also had the most pothole reports once the size of the local road network was taken into account with 148.6 reported potholes per 100km of road network, compared to just 21.8 per 100km in the Derry City and Strabane council area.

The DfI spokesperson said: “In any given year, the number of potholes or surface defects reported depends on a number of factors including the appetite of the public to report.

“It can’t be assumed that the numbers reported necessarily reflect on the relative condition of the network compared to other years or in other council areas. It should also be noted that the figures are for the number of pothole or defects reported, so in theory one pothole or defect can be reported several times, particularly in densely populated areas or where there are higher levels of traffic.

“On inspection many do not meet the criteria for repair.”

If you have spotted a pothole on the roads, you can report it via the NI Direct website.

If your vehicle or property has been damaged due to a problem with a road or street and you believe the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible, you can make a claim for compensation. The same applies if you have suffered a personal injury.