The Peterborough City Council in Cambridgeshire repaired 2,593 street defects, including potholes and damaged pavements, during January 2026 to make local journeys safer. The surge in maintenance was prompted by a high volume of reports from the public, with residents submitting roughly 850 new road faults every week via the council’s digital reporting portals.
To keep up with demand, teams used automated repair machinery the council says can complete a permanent fix on a pothole in roughly eight minutes. These repair teams focused on various areas across the city, including busy urban streets in Dogsthorpe and rural routes near Wittering.
Cllr Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said the council made these repairs a priority because road quality is a top concern for people in the community. The project was supported by additional Network North funding, which the council says was reallocated from national allocations originally set aside for other projects such as HS2.
The council is working with its highways partner Milestone Infrastructure to carry out the physical work and manage the high number of requests. Many of these reports come through the council’s FixMyStreet portal, where residents can pinpoint issues like damaged street surfaces or loose drain covers.
The maintenance push follows a 2025/26 budget that set aside nearly £70 million for the city’s roads. James Collingridge, Service Director for Infrastructure and Highways, said the teams are working hard to maintain this pace, though the volume of reports means they are still working quickly to stay ahead of the winter weather.
