More potholes are set to be repaired over the next six months, with the council planning to reduce the criteria for fixing road defects.

A six-month trial is set to be launched, reducing the threshold for pothole repairs from 50mm to 40mm deep.

Currently, Reading Borough Council (RBC) repairs all potholes with a depth of 50mm or more and which cover an area of at least 300mm x 300mm.

READ MORE: Plan for fast food takeaway Chipstar at listed vape shop

The council now wants to trial reducing this to 40mm or more, while covering the same minimum area of 300m x 300m.

It says its £9 million road and pavement repair scheme has reduced the demand for pothole repairs considerably, enabling the transition to addressing defects of a lesser depth manageable.

The council also wants to change its response times for repairs to allow a bit more leeway for fixing Category R1 potholes, the second most severe category of road defect.

Pothole. Photo by Anita Ross Marshall

Pothole. Photo by Anita Ross Marshall

Workers are currently given 24 hours to fix these kinds of potholes, but the council wants to give them until the end of the following to fix the issue.

READ MORE: Reading School Streets planned in Caversham and off Oxford Road

It says analysis of the data for repairs has shown that in a majority of Category R1 potholes were repaired between a few minutes to an hour after the 24-hour limit had passed.

RBC’s Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport committee will vote on the plans at next Monday’s (March 15) meeting.