Future of Roads Minister, , is marking National
Pothole Day (15th January), with a visit to the JCB
Factory outside Derby, to see cutting-edge technology helping
councils tackle potholes.
Derbyshire, highlighted by the RAC as the worst
area in England for potholes, is set to benefit from a share of
the Government's record £1.6 billion investment to resurface
across England.
This includes an additional £20 million for the East Midlands
County Combined Authority, which includes Derbyshire, as part of
a £1.6 billion funding for highway maintenance that will enable
councils to fix up to seven million more potholes.
At the JCB Power Systems factory, the Roads Minister will speak
to engineers to learn about the latest innovations being used to
tackle the pothole plague. She will operate 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 in 20 local
authorities.
The Minister will also meet 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.
As part of its Plan for Change, the Government is committed to
delivering safer, smoother journeys—reducing delays, saving
drivers money, and going above and beyond its manifesto pledge.
Future of Roads Minister, , 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 which 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 next 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.”
Ben Rawding, General Manager, Municipalities at JCB
said: “We are looking forward to introducing the
Minister to the benefits that innovation and technology can
deliver in tackling the plague of potholes in our country.
“Last month's announcement by the Department of Transport of £1.6
billion of funding for road repairs in England during 2025 is
very welcome. Our appeal to the Minister will be for this funding
to be spent wisely to ensure permanent long-term repairs become
the priority for local authorities, making best use of
value-adding, productive technology, such as the JCB Pothole
Pro.”
The Government's latest roads maintenance funding builds on the
wider support we're giving to councils to deliver core services
and serve their communities. £69 billion of funding will be
injected into council budgets across England to help them drive
forward the government's Plan for Change through investment and
reform and to fix the foundations of local government.
