Cornwall pothole pictures: before and after on a road near Penzance

A road edge patched and re-patched, fresh yellow paint sprayed on the tarmac to mark out the next job, and a measuring wheel parked against the hedge.

That was the view on a road near Penzance in June. The same stretch looks rather different now, and the pictures have been released by the government as part of a Halloween push on pothole funding.

What the Cornwall pictures show

The images were provided by Cornwall Council and Wiltshire Council. The first Cornwall shot is stamped 26 June 2026 and tagged to Penzance. It shows a line of old square patches running along the edge of the road, with yellow markings spray-painted beside them.

The second picture is taken from the same spot, with the white house still sitting at the end of the lane. The patchwork has gone, replaced by one long strip of new surface along the edge of the carriageway.

The Department for Transport says the pictures show how its £7.3 billion funding, which it describes as record investment, is turning damaged roads into smoother, safer surfaces.

📷The same stretch after resurfacing. Credit: Cornwall Council

How Cornwall’s roads rate

Every local highway authority in England gets a green, amber or red rating from the Department for Transport, based on the condition of its roads, how much it spends on them and how well it follows maintenance best practice. The 2025 to 2026 local road maintenance ratings put Cornwall Council at amber overall.

But on the condition of its roads, Cornwall scores green. Spend and wider best practice are both rated amber. Wiltshire is rated green overall.

Cornwall Council is eligible to receive over £221 million from the government over the next four years. Wiltshire Council is eligible for over £161 million, taking the two councils to around £383 million between them.

📷A pothole measured up before repair. Picture supplied by Cornwall Council and Wiltshire Council

Where the money is going

Transparency reports published by councils on 21 October show nearly £5 billion will be spent on the state of local roads across England this year. The government says that is £800 million more than two years ago, and covers longer-term resurfacing as well as pothole repairs.

According to the Department for Transport’s announcement, 94% of councils will carry out preventative roadworks this year, up from 76% last year. That work is aimed at stopping the same stretches being patched again and again.

Following the publication of that data, a further £220 million has been released to councils that met performance-related targets. Funding later in the year also depends on councils hitting their targets, and can be held back if they don’t.

📷A finished road patch. Picture supplied by Cornwall Council and Wiltshire Council

What the Roads Minister said

Roads Minister Justin Madders said: “I know first hand how much of a fright potholes can give people, and their wallets.

“We are determined to end this living nightmare and these pictures from local authorities are clear evidence that our record £7.3 billion in funding is turning around the pothole plague and ending this horror story.

“With recent figures showing we are on track to maintain nearly 7,000 miles of roads across the country this year, equivalent to flying between London and Singapore, we are reversing over a decade of underinvestment into our roads.”

📷A road near Penzance before repairs, June 2026. Credit: Cornwall Council