DEVON County Council (DCC) has announced it will be embarking on a seven-week trial of changes to its pothole repair procedures.

During a meeting of full council on Thursday, September 4, councillors heard that a pilot will get underway from Monday, September 15 in parts of Barnstaple, as well as west Devon areas of Hatherleigh, Chagford and North Tawton.

These locations have been chosen based on data of pothole numbers, and highways teams will be filling all potholes, not just safety defects, when visiting sites in these areas through to the end of October, the council has said.

When investigating potholes reported by the public, highway safety inspectors will be asked to record all other potholes on that road within 500 metres in each direction, or to the nearest highway junction.

Repair teams will then repair those potholes within their traffic management set-up – although different teams may be required depending on the size and type of repair needed.

While not everything will be repaired, this trial will establish the budget implications of taking a more proactive approach to fixing potholes before they become safety defects, and it’s an opportunity to see if this new approach to pothole repairs leads to a reduction in pothole reports.

Councillor Dan Thomas, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: ‘Trialling this new approach will test whether it is a more efficient way of working and better value for money to fix potholes before they become a safety defect.

‘The frustrations you hear from people are that a workforce will go out and fill in one pothole but possibly don’t fill in others that you would consider road defects, because they don’t have them on their list.

‘While they’re out on the ground it makes sense for them to be looking to fill as many road defects as possible to ensure they’re not having to go back in short order.

‘I do not believe the current way of working is cost effective and the purpose of the trial is to prove that’s the case’.

The effectiveness of the trial will hopefully be reflected in improved conditions of roads in the trial area over a longer period, requiring fewer return visits.