"Must do better" Portsmouth praised for pothole repairs while rest of Hampshire is told to do better
A new government mapping pool has seen Portsmouth praised for the way it tackles potholes - with the rest of Hampshire told it could do better.
The Department for Transport traffic light system rated 154 local highway authorities as red, amber or green based on road conditions and how well they were using government funds.
Portsmouth City Council was rated as ‘green’ meaning is doing well, while Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council were rated as amber, meaning they were patching up roads and had preventative measures in place, but there was still room for improvement.
The DfT said future funding would be "linked to performance" to encourage councils to use "taxpayer money efficiently to repair and maintain their roads before potholes form".
The UK is thought to have more than one million potholes, leading to 25,758 incidents in 2025, the RAC has said.
The RAC also says damaged roads lead to dozens of serious injuries, accidents and breakdowns every year and drivers pay an average of £590 for pothole damage - but some are out of pocket by more than £1,000. Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh, Liz Jarvis said: “It will be no surprise to motorists in Eastleigh and across Hampshire that the highway authority is not performing anywhere near the level it should be. While this is very disappointing, it is entirely predictable.
“The average repair bill after hitting a pothole is £320, an additional and completely unnecessary cost that my constituents are having to endure when household budgets are already tight.
“New funding from the Government is welcome, but until we see the results of genuine, long-term action to improve the quality of our roads, people across Hampshire will be sceptical that Tory-run Hampshire County Council is investing this money in the right places.”
To view the map and find out more visit maps.dft.gov.uk/local-road-maintenance-ratings-map/index.html