A council in Greater Manchester has blamed a “data error” for it being labelled as one of the worst town’s in the country for potholes.
Bolton Council was given a ‘red’ rating in a new government traffic-light system, which reflects how well local authorities are maintaining roads.
Thirteen authorities across England received the lowest rating based on the condition of their roads and how effectively they are spending taxpayers’ money to carry out repairs.
A Bolton Council spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, it appears there was an error in the data we provided to the Department for Transport (DfT), which has resulted in this artificially low ‘red’ rating.”
“The DfT rating is erroneously based on Bolton’s highways spending up to June 2025, rather than our projected spend for the whole financial year”, the spokesperson added.
The department rated 154 local highway authorities as red, amber or green and has launched a new mapping tool to allow drivers to see how each area is performing.
The vast majority of councils across the country were rated as amber, meaning they were patching up roads and had preventative measures in place but there was still room for improvement.
Tasha Southern, aged 34, from Darcy Lever said: “It’s ridiculous, you’ve got about three or four potholes on Long Lane and they’re deep.
“I’ve got a bad back and if you’re in a car, hitting a pothole jerks you hard.”
Councils with a red rating will receive extra support, and the government has promised to allocate £300,000 for “expert planning and capability assistance”.
Two councils in Greater Manchester, Wigan and Manchester, received the top ‘green’ rating.
Julie Ashton, aged 47, from Astley Bridge in Bolton, said: “I try to avoid them but when you hit one, its like a big bang and I’m always worried about it.
“I have had flat tyres on my car and I always wonder if I’ve gone over a pothole.”
A Bolton Council spokesperson said the authority was “on track to invest £5m our borough’s roads in 2025/26, compared to £4.7m in 2024/25”.
The RAC said damaged roads lead to dozens of serious injuries, accidents and breakdowns every year.
Drivers pay an average of £590 to fix damage caused by potholes but some are out of pocket by more than £1,000, the RAC added.
Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
Stacey Taylor, from Tonge Fold in Bolton, said: “I went into a pothole recently and I needed a new tyre so it cost me £130 to replace.
“It is just really annoying because you pay your taxes and then you have to pay out more because the roads aren’t as they should be.”