Potholes in West Sussex: all you need to know about how the County Council is tackling the problem and how you can make a report

The advice comes after ‘at least 15’ holes were photographed in Crescent Way, Burgess Hill, with repair jobs scheduled for the five most significant ones.

The council said residents can report a pothole at www.westsussex.gov.uk by selecting ‘roads and travel’ and ‘report a pothole online’. They can also find out about how West Sussex County Council prioritises repairs.

Residents can now see existing reports too, which are highlighted on a map, and they can subscribe to updates by providing their email address.

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “There’s no longer the necessity to download an app. The online maps are easier to use, with greater levels of detail so Highways staff can more easily locate and investigate issues. We have also revised and improved our updates so that the information residents receive about their report is more frequent and detailed.”

West Sussex County Council is currently responsible for maintaining around 2,500 miles of road.

The County Council spokesperson said: “A and B roads are ordinarily inspected monthly, C-class and main distributor roads on a three or six-monthly basis and declassified roads are typically inspected annually. We do understand that potholes are a big source of frustration for all road users. Unfortunately, roads are not permanent structures: they deteriorate over time from constant use, the weight of vehicles using them and the effects of weather, resulting in new potholes.

“Older roads, potentially with small cracks, could have been impacted by recent weather patterns, and the chop-change in temperature we have experienced. We have had one of the hottest summers locally, then very mild/wet weather, then the very cold snap from 6 to 15 December, followed by very mild and very wet again. These fluctuations, with wet weather, combine to cause road surfaces to expand/contract and expand again, potentially causing further cracks and new potholes to form.

“From April 2022 to the end of December 2022, approximately 25,500 potholes were filled by our Highways teams and contractor. But we are also taking a holistic approach to the condition of roads, with larger sections completely resurfaced on a priority basis, to make them more resilient to potholes, and vastly reduce the need for essential, small-scale repairs, which can cause disruption. Other forms of treatment, such as surface dressing and micro-asphalt, are also used to prolong the lifespan of suitable roads. From April to October 2022, 138km of road were either completely resurfaced or had surface dressing or micro-asphalt treatments – representing a total investment of £7.4million in road surface improvements county-wide.”

People can find out more about this on the council’s media release from November 24.

West Sussex County Council added that residents who used to report issues via Love West Sussex are now being redirected to the correct online form.

For more breaking news from across Sussex, as well as traffic news and human interest stories from your area visit the homepage at www.sussexexpress.co.uk.