Nottinghamshire is about to welcome its latest pothole repair equipment, with the machines expected to begin operations shortly. The authority, controlled by Reform-UK, is starting with a lease of two JCB Pothole Pro units, with plans to evaluate whether to purchase two additional vehicles permanently after six months if results prove positive, and potentially acquire more beyond that. Council leader Councillor Mick Barton indicated the initiative would undergo review after half a year but expressed strong confidence that the JCB equipment would create a ‘massive difference’ for the county’s road network. The investment forms part of a groundbreaking highways funding package announced by Reform. The Pothole Pro equipment was officially introduced during a ceremony at the county council’s County Hall headquarters in West Bridgford on Thursday (April 30). Representatives from the Dawson Group, the asset hire company that has provided the Pothole Pros to Via, the council’s highways contractor, were present at the event alongside council members. Dan Potter, product trainer with the Dawson Group, demonstrated the equipment’s capabilities. The machines handle only the initial preparation of road damage rather than completing the actual repairs. According to Mr Potter, the rear of the unit contains a 600mm planing attachment capable of eliminating deteriorated material from a road surface to depths of 170mm. The front section incorporates a 400mm cropping device that squares off the edges of the damage, producing a consistent cavity for maintenance crews to fill. A sweeping attachment on the Pothole Pro collects all debris into whichever transport unit is present at the worksite for removal. Mr Potter stated: “This machine will go out and prepare the defect, ready for the crew, which will then come along afterwards and then infill the Tarmac ready for the road.” He further noted: “This machine is there to take away from the manual labour side of actually preparing a defect.” The council leader clarified that defect preparation currently relies predominantly on manual work, and the Pothole Pros will enhance this ‘time consuming’ process. Councillor Barton reported that the Pothole Pro machines have been engineered to complete between 200 and 250 metres of work daily. He committed that every district in Nottinghamshire would see benefits from the machines within the coming weeks.