Dudley councillors have taken to the highways to map every pothole in their ward, finding around 120 carriageway craters and demanding a permanent solution. Councillors Qasim Mughal and Shaneila Mughal, representing Netherton and Holly Hall, say their survey proves the council is failing to address the pothole problem despite receiving millions in extra funding from the Combined Authority and government.
Councillors Submit Pothole Map as Evidence
The Labour councillors submitted their map to council leaders, stating: "We are fed up of reporting potholes only to see them ignored or patched up badly. Dudley Council has the funding, but not the will to fix our roads properly. Residents deserve safe streets, not endless excuses." They highlighted that the Department for Transport has given Dudley a red rating for best practice in road maintenance, indicating ongoing failures.
Council Response and Repair Efforts
Dudley's Conservative-led Council noted that during winter, they received up to 150 pothole reports daily due to severe weather. By early March, 6,000 reports had been logged, compared to 10,000 for the entire previous year. Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: "This is a national issue... but that hasn't stopped our team getting out there to carry out repairs. We also have a long-term programme to improve roads across the borough, moving away from short-term fixes." The council repaired over 25,000 square metres of road in 2025, with contractors conducting night-time blitz operations.
The councillors argue that a permanent solution is needed, not temporary patches. They added: "We've done the council's homework for them by mapping every pothole. Now they must act, and act fast."
