Manchester apparently has the lowest rate of fixed reported potholes in the UK, a new survey has discovered.
It comes as a list of Britain’s so-called ‘pothole capitals’ has been released, with Manchester coming in at number eight.
Hereford, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Sheffield, and Birmingham are among the English places that accompany Manchester on the top 10 list, while the top two spots are (unfortunately) claimed by Scotland’s two biggest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Wrexham and Swansea were Wales’ representatives within the top 10.
All these shocking revelations are according to a new study from data collection experts at SmartSurvey, who analysed the reports of potholes registered via FixMyStreet.com for 68 cities across England, Scotland, and Wales – but excluding London.
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Top 10 ‘pothole capitals’ in the UK
City
Potholes unfixed per 1,000 residents
Fix rate (%)
1
Glasgow
11.7
24.25
2
Edinburgh
8.2
22.25
3
Hereford
7.9
50.24
4
Southampton
7.3
31.65
5
Wrexham
5.9
26.93
6
Stoke-on-Trent
5.7
37.28
7
Sheffield
5.5
37.73
8
Manchester
5.4
19.18
9
Birmingham
5.1
24.07
10
Swansea
5.0
24.26
Since some residents use the FixMyStreet platform more than others, fix rates were evaluated only for the 41 cities with at least 100 reports registered since 2007 – which is when the platform was launched – up until 12 January 2024.
The top 10 cities with the highest number of potholes per capita are contained within the latter 41 cities, where fix rates were said to have been ‘measurable’.
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Glasgow was named as Britain’s pothole capital, among the cities outside London, because, since 2007, Glaswegians filed 9,780 reports of potholes, and only 2,372 had been marked as “fixed” until 12 January this year, with the remaining 7,408 reports said to be spread “rather evenly” across the city’s population of 635,130.
New survey finds Manchester has the lowest rate of fixed reported potholes in the UK / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Flickr
This is the equivalent of 11.7 yet-to-be-fixed reported potholes for every 1,000 residents.
Experts at SmartSurvey say that, as of 12 January 2024, city dwellers across Britain – outside of London, are still waiting for local authorities to solve a total of 70,413 pothole reports, and apparently, Councils tend to fix only four in 10 potholes,
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This is based on average rates in cities with the most “proactive” residents.
Greater Manchester’s heritage railway issues statement as it’s forced to cancel services this week
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway has been forced to cancel its services this weekend due to the heatwave.
In case you hadn’t heard, Amber Extreme Heat warnings and heat-health alerts have been issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) through to Thursday this week – with temperatures widely exceeding 35°C nationwide, and in some areas – particularly on the south coast – potentially even reaching 38°C.
Heatwave conditions in the UK are met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with temperature values meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold for that location.
It does seem, however, that northern parts of the country – especially the North West – are missing most of the extremely hot conditions.
Current forecasts indicate that the peak temperatures for Greater Manchester this week will be tomorrow and Thursday, with highs of 33°C in the city centre.
Despite not reaching the heights of the south, East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has still had to act in advance and has taken the decision to cancel its scheduled services for the next two days as the forecast is ‘too severe’.
Taking to social media to share its decision today, ELR wrote: “Due to the current weather warning for the UK, the decision has been taken to cancel all services on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June 2026, including the afternoon tea and mid-week luncheon dining experiences.
“The welfare of both staff and customers is paramount to the ELR, and we believe that the risk in the extreme heat that has been forecast is too severe to allow for the running of our ordinary services.”
As things stand, ELR says its current plan is to have services resume with the evening dining train on Friday 26 June, but this will still be ‘subject to review’, and further updates on this will be issued later in the week.
Visitors who have already pre-booked services over the two cancelled days will be contacted via email to have their options explained to them.
“We apologise for any inconvenience,” ELR closed out its statement.
Featured Image – ELR
News
TfGM issues safety warning and advice for travelling on public transport during extreme heat wave – including ‘get off’
Daisy Jackson
Transport for Greater Manchester has urged passengers to ‘stay safe’ when travelling as the city braces for an extreme heatwave this week.
As well as issuing some safety advice, TfGM has also warning that delays and disruption are possible across the network as temperatures climb as high as 36ºC on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Customers are being advised to carry water with them when travelling, and to wear light clothing.
Also included in the travel advice is to ‘get off’ public transport at the next stop if you feel unwell, to seek fresh air.
It’s also advised to allow more time for your journey and to check the latest information and advice before setting off.
And most importantly, passengers are asked to look out for each other, especially those who are vulnerable.
The Bee Network may experience disruption later this week as the overhead lines that power the trams and trains are often adversely affected by high temperatures.
TfGM’s Customer and Growth Director, Fran Wilkinson, said: “Very high temperatures are forecast this week that can affect both people and the transport network.
“We will have staff out to help those who need it, and I would encourage customers to take a few simple steps to stay safe and comfortable while travelling, such as by carrying water, travelling at cooler times of the day and looking out for others.
“Due to the heat, there may be some disruption to Bee Network or local train services and I would encourage people to check for the latest information and advice before making their journey.”
TfGM advice for travelling in heatwave
Carry water and drink plenty of fluids
Avoid travelling during the hottest part of the day where possible
Wear light clothing and stay in the shade
If you feel unwell while travelling, get off at the next stop and seek fresh air
Plan your journey, check for the latest information and advice before setting off and allow extra time to make your journey
Look out for other passengers who may need help, especially those who are more vulnerable
Bee Network staff will be out across the network to help passengers, who can get the latest travel information and advice by checking the website or app.
Emily Sergeant -
29th January 2024 
