Rapid response road repair crews will be deployed by Devon County Council as part of a £4m investment made possible by careful financial planning.
The council’s cabinet also approved plans to extend a successful pothole repair trial for a further year, when they met today (Wednesday 20 May).
The move follows the authority identifying £7.8m in savings and reviewing the earlier trial in Barnstaple South, Hatherleigh, Chagford and North Tawton.
At the meeting, Council Leader Julian Brazil said tight budget control, efficiency savings and demand management across services had created room to reinvest in priority areas.
“The council is in a strong position because of the disciplined way we have managed our finances over the past year,” he said.
“Officers have worked hard with members to ensure we are finally reversing many years of under-investment in our highways. We know improving our roads is one of residents’ top priorities. Motorists can be assured the county’s roads will be in a better state next year than they are today.”
The original trial allowed highways teams to repair nearby defects while already on site, using a 500m radius from the reported pothole.
Around 4,000m2 of repairs were carried out, far more work than usual in a single area.
Independent audits found all inspected repairs met the required standard, with no public concerns raised about workmanship.
However, the 500m rule also identified more work than crews could complete.
Cabinet heard the new trial would build on what worked, learn from the challenges of the first phase and be backed by the additional investment.
Councillor Dan Thomas, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said:
“The trial delivered clear benefits, with extra repairs completed while inspections continued and safety defects fixed on time.
“It also let us tackle smaller defects before they worsened and reduced the need for repeat visits.
“We know better roads are one of residents’ top priorities, and this funding will help us deliver visible improvements.
“It is about reinvesting savings in frontline services people rely on every day and delivering real improvements for communities across Devon.”
