Derbyshire County Council is continuing its investment in highway maintenance through its £70 million Capital Programme, with a range of new technologies and repair methods being introduced to improve the way roads are maintained across the county.

As part of the programme, the council is trialling a JCB Pothole Pro machine over the next three months. The equipment can cut, crop and clean potholes in around eight minutes, helping highway crews carry out repairs more quickly.

Its performance will be assessed alongside existing repair methods to determine whether it offers a cost-effective addition to Derbyshire’s pothole repair programme.

The trial follows an earlier assessment carried out last year, which helped inform how the technology could support the council’s response to pothole repairs.

Alongside this, Derbyshire has been using a new elasto-mastic repair solution on selected pothole repairs over the past 18 months. Made partly from recycled lorry tyres, the material is more flexible than traditional asphalt and is designed to reduce water ingress, helping prevent further deterioration of the road surface.

The material is used to repair potholes and larger cracks, as well as sealing the edges of previous repairs. The council says repairs completed using this method have not yet required further maintenance.

Two jetpatching units are also being deployed across the north and south of the county until October to support maintenance on rural roads. The process enables multiple potholes to be repaired quickly with minimal disruption and can be used effectively in damp weather conditions.

Another innovation being introduced is a thermal repair technique that will be used on town centre and residential roads. Up to four crews will operate across Derbyshire until April 2027, carrying out repairs by heating and reusing existing road material to create a smooth, waterproof finish that bonds directly with the surrounding carriageway.

Councillor Charlotte Hill, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said:

“We know potholes are a real concern for our residents and can cause frustration and disruption.

“That’s why we’re continuing to invest in new equipment and techniques that help us repair roads more quickly and make those repairs last longer, ensuring we get the right approach for the right roads at the first time every time.

“There isn’t a single solution to fixing potholes, but by testing new approaches and building on what works, we’re continuing to make improvements across Derbyshire’s highways network.”

The latest initiatives build on the council’s rapid response service, which currently repairs around 2,000 potholes every week.

The work is supported by a dedicated highways innovation focus group, which continues to identify and assess new methods of maintaining and improving Derbyshire’s road network.