Sunderland City Council has announced a service standard that safety-related potholes in Washington and across the City of Sunderland will be repaired within 24 hours of the council completing its inspection. The policy sets an intervention level of 40 millimetres in depth for potholes that require action.
The target forms part of an £8.3 million highways maintenance programme approved in March 2024, covering more than 180 local projects across the city. Significant work in the programme includes schemes on the A182 Washington Highway, a key arterial route for the Washington area.
To monitor road condition, the council has published a tiered inspection schedule: busier strategic routes will be inspected monthly, while minor residential streets are inspected annually to identify potential safety defects.
Deputy Leader, Councillor Claire Rowntree, has said that maintaining the city’s transport links is a top priority for the council. The guidance is intended to give residents a clearer idea of when repairs can be expected after the council’s inspection and to set out the authority’s standards for responding to reported defects.
By publishing these standards, the council aims to manage road safety effectively while meeting its legal duties under the Highways Act 1980. Residents are encouraged to report faults so maintenance teams can identify and treat safety defects that meet the council’s intervention criteria.
