More road repairs in four months in Gateshead compared to the whole of last year
The Pothole Pro was purchased as part of a £7.7m investment
Gateshead Council say they have done more road repairs in the last four months than throughout the previous financial year.
It's thanks to a new machine, The Pothole Pro, which was purchased as part of a £7.7m investment in road maintenance between 2025 and 2030.
The authority says The Pothole Pro also provides a more permanent solution for larger areas of road meaning a reduction in repeat repairs and a better appearance in road surface.
The latest phase of work has focused on key neighbourhoods where residents, inspectors and data highlighted a need for maintenance. Recent repairs have been completed around Leam Lane, Swalwell, Birtley, Low Fell, Felling, Heworth, Stella, Rowlands Gill and Wrekenton.
Locations for the Pothole Pro Carriageway Maintenance Scheme are selected through a combined approach that uses reports submitted by residents and defects identified by the our team of footway and highway inspectors.
Councillor John McElroy, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport said: "The Pothole Pro has been a game changer for our programme of road repairs. It ensures high quality repairs delivered in a more efficient way and at a lower cost than traditional repairs. By targeting locations using both data and community feedback, we're able to improve road conditions where they are needed most and ensure our network is safe, reliable and maintained for the future."
On a visit to the North East yesterday, James Murray, Chief Secretary of the Treasury, said: "We know how annoying potholes are for people right across the country and that's why we're increasing the funding for road maintenence. It'll be doubling by the end of this Parliament but the important thing for me is to think about what difference this makes to people's lives. People get annoyed by potholes which, let's face it, we all do, and this will be an actual difference that they can see.
"We want councils to make good use of the extra funding that we've put forward for road maintenence and fixing potholes, so councils can get the right kit, the right technology they need to make a difference, and making sure there's good value for money for that extra funding we've put into road maintenence.
"They can do more of the preventative maintenence, more of the resurfacing rather than just the reactive repairs filling pothole when they come up. They can do some of the longer term investment as well so that should mean the quality of the roads are improved overall."