Every day, residents across South Gloucestershire — and particularly in Downend and Staple Hill — navigate crumbling, pothole-scarred roads that damage vehicles, endanger cyclists and pedestrians, and make a mockery of the council tax we pay. South Gloucestershire Council has failed to maintain these roads to the standard the law requires. They have a legal duty to act — and with your signature, we are going to hold them to it.

More detailed explanation: 

The problem: Roads across South Gloucestershire have become unacceptable. Potholes and deteriorating surfaces are no longer a minor inconvenience — they are damaging vehicles, creating genuine safety hazards, and leaving our streets in a state of neglect. Yet meaningful, lasting repair remains elusive.

This is a legal failure: Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, councils have a clear legal duty to maintain public roads to a safe and reasonable standard. South Gloucestershire Council is not meeting that standard. Reports via FixMyStreet show a continuous stream of unresolved defects — the same issues, on the same streets, reported again and again with no lasting fix.

Where is our money going? In December 2024, the Department for Transport announced £2.486 million in additional funding allocated to South Gloucestershire Council specifically for pothole management in 2025/26 — on top of existing highway maintenance funding from our council tax. Residents across South Glos, and particularly in Downend and Staple Hill, see little evidence of this on their streets. We deserve to know why.

We are calling on South Gloucestershire Council to:

• Immediately inspect and repair the most dangerous road surfaces across South Glos, prioritising roads where repeated reports have been logged and ignored
• Publish a transparent maintenance plan — which roads are scheduled for resurfacing, on what timeline, and what criteria are used to prioritise repairs
• Provide a full account of how highway maintenance funding is allocated, so residents can see where their council tax is being spent
• Adopt a proactive, preventative maintenance policy — fixing road surfaces before they become dangerous, not afte

Our roads are a public asset. We pay for them. We deserve better.

If you live in or travel through South Gloucestershire and are tired of cracked, dangerous roads being neglected — sign and share this petition and make your voice heard.