Potholes: “It’s time for change”

As part of National Pothole Day, future of roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, visited Derbyshire to learn about the latest innovations being used to tackle the pothole ‘plague’.

Derbyshire, highlighted by the RAC as the worst area in England for potholes, is set to benefit from a share of the government’s £1.6 billion investment to resurface across England.

At the J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited (JCB) power systems factory, the future of roads minister operated JCB’s ‘pothole pro’, a machine that can fix a pothole in eight minutes, with a cost of around £30. The ‘pothole pro’ is currently used by 20 local authorities.

The minister also met with local leaders to discuss their plans for filling potholes to deliver safer, quicker and less costly journeys for all road users in Derbyshire. 

This is part of the Government’s plans to work more closely with local authorities to ensure they have the powers to spend it where their communities need it most.

Lilian Greenwood said: “Potholes are a clear sign of decline in our infrastructure and for too long roads like those in Derbyshire have been left in a state that endangers and costs road users.

“It’s time for change and we are investing £1.6 billion to fix up to 7 million more potholes across England this year, including over £75 million for the East Midlands Combined Authority.

“JCB’s ‘pothole pro’ is one of the many great examples of using new technology to repair potholes faster and demonstrates how companies are harnessing new technology to repair potholes faster.

“We’ll continue to engage with local leaders and industry to ensure innovations are being used to deliver roads the country deserves.”

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