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County councils

Derbyshire County Council to Trial Pothole-Fixing Machine

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Derbyshire County Council has partnered with Rocester-based JCB to trial a £200,000 Pothole Pro machine, which can fix 250 square meters of road per day, costing £30 per square meter. The machine's efficiency could potentially reduce the number of staff required from eight to four. The trial follows a visit to the JCB factory by council members and a meeting with national Reform leader Nigel Farage. The council oversees 3,000 miles of roads, with approximately 66,000 potholes to be filled, and has pledged to improve road conditions within a year.

Key Takeaways:

  • Derbyshire County Council has partnered with JCB to trial a £200,000 Pothole Pro machine, which can fix 250 square meters of road per day.
  • The machine can repair a pothole in eight minutes, costing £30 per square meter of patching.
  • The trial aims to test the machine's capabilities on various road surfaces and make comparisons with existing techniques.
  • JCB says one machine can repair 700 potholes a month.
  • Reform leader Cllr Alan Graves has pledged to improve road conditions within a year, with a goal to make Derbyshire's roads better.
  • The county council oversees 3,000 miles of roads, with approximately 66,000 potholes to be filled.
  • In 2023, RAC data showed that 1.1% of minor roads and 4.9% of major A roads received maintenance in Derbyshire.
  • Residents filed claims totaling over £2 million for pothole compensation in 2024.
  • The previous Conservative administration filled 1,500 potholes a week and repaired 90,000 in 2023.
  • JCB's Pothole Pro weighs 13 tonnes and can carry out three separate tasks usually performed by highways staff.

Statistics:

  • 66,000 potholes to be filled across Derbyshire County Council's 3,000 miles of roads.
  • 1.1% of minor roads and 4.9% of major A roads received maintenance in Derbyshire in 2023, according to RAC data.
  • 1,500 potholes filled per week in 2023, with a total of 90,000 repairs made by the previous Conservative administration.
  • Over £2 million in claims filed for pothole compensation by residents in 2024.
  • £200,000 cost of a single Pothole Pro machine.
  • £30 per square meter of patching with the Pothole Pro machine.
  • 8 minutes to fix a pothole with the Pothole Pro machine.
  • 250 square meters of road fixed per day by the Pothole Pro machine.
  • 700 potholes repaired per month by a single Pothole Pro machine.

Sources:

  • Cllr Alan Graves
  • Cllr Charlotte Hill
  • JCB
  • Derbyshire County Council
  • RAC
  • Nigel Farage
  • Derbyshire County Council's website and press releases
  • JCB's website and press releases

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