Investment into innovative road repair machinery showcased in Harpole

14 December 2023

The JCB Pothole Pro, an innovative machine set to slash time and costs for road repairs, has been demonstrated in Harpole as part of West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) long-term vision to improve the road network across the area.

Upper High Street, Harpole from Nobottle Road to the village was closed from 28 November to 1 December for road surface repairs to be carried out across a 450sqm stretch.

Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Highways, and Cllr Adam Brown, Deputy Leader for West Northamptonshire Council, were joined by representatives from the Council’s Highways partner, Kier, to see the JCB Pothole Pro in action.

The JCB Pothole Pro machine is a new and exciting piece of technology acquired by West Northamptonshire Council, and is set to carry out road defect repairs four times faster than standard methods – while providing a quality solution. The Pothole Pro enables WNC’s highways partner Kier to carry out an improved repair service allowing them to cut the defect, crop the edges and clean the area with one machine before it is filled.

The investment in this new technology forms part of the Council’s long-term vision to improve the road network across the area and follows the Government announcement to invest more than £2.8 million additional funds into our Highways in 2023/24.

We’re delighted to have invested into this ground-breaking technology, which will help to achieve the Council’s strategy to deliver prompt and lasting pothole repairs. This offers us a new and innovative way to improve the speed with which we can address road surface issues and we look forward to seeing this in action across West Northamptonshire in the coming months.Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways & Waste at West Northamptonshire Council

We welcome West Northamptonshire Council’s investment in the JCB Pothole Pro. This addition to the fleet will allow road network improvements to be carried out safely and efficiently - while creating less disruption for the general public and providing greater flexibility to best deploy our resources. This is another positive step in our efforts to provide a quality, value for money service in the communities we work.John Coombes, general manager at Kier Transportation

To find out more about Highway services across West Northamptonshire, including how to report road defects, visit: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport