Locals in Reading are becoming increasingly aggravated over the state of the town's roads. 

Many feel that the pothole situation has gotten out of hand, with some even suggesting that neighbours fill them in themselves and 'bill the council.'

On a recent post to social media asking residents where the worst places in Reading for potholes are, one user wrote "The council praise themselves saying the number of potholes being reported has dropped considerably!

"They haven’t got the intelligence to realise this is apathy!"

Many expressed that due to the severity of the situation, the whole of Reading should be dubbed as one large pothole. 

One member wrote "Reading is one big pothole," with another responding "The whole of reading is like a giant pothole. In other words it's a huge pit."

A further user wrote "Yet to find a road in Reading that doesn't have potholes!"

Others chimed in with suggestions of where the problem is at its worst. 

One person wrote "Norcot Road, they were "fixing" the potholes the other day but still as bad as it was before."

A further person said "London Road is full of huge ones," with several other people giving Donkin Hill as an example. 

A number of locals suggested that the whole of Reading should be resurfaced to eliminate the issue. 

One person said "The whole of Reading and its surrounding areas need to be resurfaced. This includes not just the main roads but the side streets, estates, etc.

Another user wrote "I would say it's pretty hard to pinpoint a certain road as they're all awful. The damage the roads are causing to people's cars is ridiculous."

A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council has said the following: 

"This year we will resurface up to 105 more residential roads and up to 72 of Reading’s major roads under a 5-year £8m investment in road improvements which began last year.

"Since 2020 Reading Borough Council has:

  • Seen a 44% reduction in the number of pothole reports from the public, from 970 in 2019/20 down to 543 in 2022/23.
  • Resurfaced around 700 roads
  • Completed a 3-year, £9m investment in road improvements
  • Seen the number of residential roads classified as in ‘good’ condition rise from 35% to 80%

"We of course acknowledge that this winter's challenging weather conditions, particularly where standing rainwater freezes, can cause a deterioration in road surfaces which is why the Council’s road improvement programme is regularly reviewed to tackle the worst affected roads in order of priority and against the available budget.

"Residents can report potholes by using the Love Clean Streets app, contacting us via our website at https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/roads-and-streets/report-a-road-or-street-problem/, ring our customer contact centre or email highway.inspectors@reading.gov.uk . Each reported pothole will be attended and assessed."