Devon Volunteers Fill 10,000 Potholes to Save Their Roads

When Peter Grayson spotted yet another pothole threatening his car near Kingsbridge, he didn't call the council to complain. He grabbed a shovel and fixed it himself.

He's one of hundreds of volunteers across Devon who've decided that waiting for help isn't an option. The county faces a staggering £1 billion backlog to repair all its roads properly, and nearly 10,000 new potholes appeared just last February during heavy winter storms.

Devon County Council can only fix potholes that measure at least 12 inches wide and 1.5 inches deep. Everything smaller than that officially doesn't make the cut, even though those small holes eventually become bigger problems.

That's where the road wardens come in. Louise Wainwright, a councillor from Salcombe, created the Devon Parish Pothole Handbook to guide volunteers through safe, effective pothole repair. She's recruited 135 of Devon's 426 parish councils to join the program so far.

"Nobody else is going to do the work, so eventually we're going to be in a situation where the roads are totally impassable," Grayson explained while sweeping and filling holes on a minor road. "This is just something I can pay back to the community."

Devon County Council oversees more than 8,000 miles of roads. The council has allocated £8 million for pothole repairs this year and will spend £42.5 million next year on prevention, thanks to long-term government funding totaling £433 million over four years.

The Ripple Effect

What makes this story remarkable isn't just volunteers fixing roads. It's neighbors taking ownership of shared problems instead of waiting for someone else to solve them.

The road warden program transforms frustration into action. Volunteers learn proper repair techniques, receive materials from the county, and coordinate with local councils to target the worst trouble spots. Their work extends the life of roads between major repairs and prevents small damage from becoming expensive emergencies.

As more parishes sign up, the collective impact grows. Roads stay safer longer, repair budgets stretch further, and communities build stronger connections through shared purpose.

Wainwright hopes to see all 426 parishes eventually participate. "I really want to be at the forefront of the battle to save our roads," she said. "I believe that road wardens are the way forward on this."

The Devon program proves that when governments face impossible budgets, citizen volunteers can bridge the gap without replacing professional services. These volunteers aren't doing the county's job; they're doing work the county simply cannot fund alone.

As Grayson tamped down fresh asphalt on a country lane, he smiled at the smooth surface where a crater used to be. Sometimes the best way to fix your community is to literally fill the holes yourself.