Pothole reports to Cornwall Council have reached a three-year high.
According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act by JF Law, the local authority logged 5,919 failures initially, increasing to 6,043 the following year, and surging to 9,102 incidents during 2025/26.
That brings the total to 21,064 potholes documented across the region over three years, and has forced Cornwall Council to spend more than £10.2 million on repairs.
The FoI figures also showed that Cornwall Council paid out almost £180,000 (£177,169) in compensation to motorists who successfully sued the authority over vehicle damage or personal injuries caused by potholes.
Pay-outs have, however, dropped considerably over the last three years. They went from just over £133,000 for 45 payments to 41 claims in 2023/24, down to £23,000 for 29 payments to 29 claims the following year, and down again to £20,400 for 27 payments to 27 claims in 2025/26.
Cornwall Council said it "does not accept the suggestion that the figures demonstrate a failure to maintain Cornwall’s highways".
It said heavy rain and bad weather has put a strain on its highways department's ability to repair potholes quickly.
The authority said: "It will come as a surprise to no one that Cornwall saw a considerable rise in the number of potholes repaired in 2025/26.
"We have been very open about the challenges highways crews faced following the persistent heavy rainfall, waterlogged surfaces and three named storms in the first three months of this year.
"This led to a significant increase in damage to Cornwall’s roads and, in addition to those reported by the public, we identified and repaired over 30,000 potholes and other road surface defects during this time. These conditions not only accelerated deterioration, but they also made it difficult for teams to carry out lasting repairs."
The research looked at the wider region to see how local authorities fared.
Devon County Council topped the pothole leaderboard, recording 151,669 total road defects between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 financial years.
Devon logged 54,066 individual defects during 2023/24, followed by 43,115 in 2024/25, before aggressively surging to 54,488 recorded incidents.
Dorset Council ranked second with 42,890 total potholes recorded over the same three-year window. The council logged 16,532 defects initially, dipping to 12,967 the following year, before slightly rising to 13,391 in the final cycle.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council recorded 17,213 total potholes. They saw 4,708 initially, a drop to 3,775, before skyrocketing to 8,730.
Plymouth City Council struggled with 12,622 total structural failures. Plymouth recorded 4,502 cavities initially, which fell to 3,026, before climbing to 5,094.
Torbay Council recorded the fewest visible defects, logging 1,299 total potholes. They saw 463 initially, 518 the next year, and 318 ultimately.
Regarding spending, Devon County Council dedicated £27,158,700 to road repairs, climbing from £7.92 million to £10.60 million ultimately.
Dorset Council spent £6,984,340 on repairs. They spent £2.79 million initially, dropping to £1.86 million, before rising to £2.33 million.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council spent £5,327,000 on repairs. Their budget started at £1.63 million, reached £1.86 million, then £1.84 million.
Cornwall Pothole Reports Hit Three-Year High