A Norfolk pothole which should have been fixed in less than a month took a whopping 196 days to be repaired.

This is the longest wait in the county over the past two years, amid new statistics highlighting how reports of potholes on county roads soared by more than 63pc over the past year.

The pothole, on Park Lane in Blofield, took the longest period between a repair being ordered and completed.

A pothole in Park Lane in Blofield took 196 days to be fixed. It was supposed to take no longer than 28A pothole on Park Lane in Blofield took 196 days to be fixed. It was supposed to take no longer than 28 (Image: Denise Bradley)

It was rated priority C in 2022/23, which meant council contractors should have filled it in within 28 days of Norfolk County Council ordering the fix.

But it took six-and-a-half months before the hole was sorted - 168 days longer than the target.

The county council did not explain why it had taken so long to fix, but said 95.3pc of potholes in 2022/23 and 99.2pc in 2023/24 were repaired within target times.

Park Lane in Blofield, where council contractors took the longest time to repair a pothole over the past two yearsPark Lane in Blofield, where council contractors took the longest time to repair a pothole over the past two years (Image: Denise Bradley)

The Blofield pothole was one of 25,650 reported to Conservative-controlled County Hall between April 2022 and April 2024.

New figures, obtained using the Freedom of Information Act, revealed such reports soared over the past 12 months - up to 15,910 in 2023/24 from 9,740 in 2022/23.

But council officers said the past year had seen them spend more money, fix more potholes and repair them more rapidly than in the previous year.

READ MORE: Norfolk potholes trigger county council compensation payouts

In 2023/24, the pothole which took the longest to fix was on Field Dalling Road in Bale, in north Norfolk.

That was rated priority D, with a target to fix within 84 days. It took 127 days.

The number of reports of potholes in Norfolk has gone up by more than 63pcThe number of reports of potholes in Norfolk has gone up by more than 63pc (Image: Antony Kelly)

Following 15,910 reports of potholes in 2023/24, 9,124 repairs were done, compared to 6,574 repairs after 9,740 reports the year before. The council said some reports were duplicates.

A council spokesman said: "In the 2023/24 financial year, the county experienced a high level of storm conditions, with more high winds and wet weather experienced than the previous financial year.

"The wet weather directly results in drainage challenges which also cause damage to the road structure, especially during the winter period as a consequence of freeze/thaw action.

"This results in increased reports from the public of potholes, and, of course, the amount the authority repairs."

Brian WatkinsBrian Watkins (Image: Liberal Democrats)

But Brian Watkins, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at County Hall, said: "This is a staggering increase and shows Norfolk’s road network is not really fit for purpose.

"Clearly the wet winter weather hasn’t helped, but the system is flawed, and the council constantly has to play catch-up to deal with the huge backlog of repairs.

"Whilst I acknowledge our highways teams are doing the best job possible, it is fighting against the odds to stay on top of things."

He said the new government must restore maintenance funding and said: "This crisis also demonstrates the need for us to focus on developing more sustainable forms of public transport moving forward."

The time to fix potholes improved from an average of nearly 32 days between report and repair in 2022/23 to just under 25 days last year.

The average time between a repair being ordered and completed also went down, from five days to 3.77 days.

A council spokesman said: "The council is aware potholes are an emotive subject, which is why we always try to repair them as soon as we are aware of them, in line with prescribed response times.

"Like all local authorities, budget constraints have had a real impact in what is possible to deliver on the ground, but we will always ensure work is ordered to ensure the network remains safe."

Spending went up from £1.8m to £2.1m and the council said more money would be welcome.

A spokesman said: "With the budgetary pressures we have, of course more money would be very welcome."

The time to fix the Blofield and Bale potholes pales in comparison to how long Reepham townspeople had to wait in 2021/22.

Church Street in Reepham, where a pothole took 482 days to fixChurch Street in Reepham, where a pothole took 482 days to fix (Image: Denise Bradley)

That pothole, in the town's Church Street, took a staggering 482 days to be repaired.