Lancashire road users are being promised potholes will be fixed properly “first time around” after the county became the first part of the UK to start using a new machine highways bosses hope will be “game-changing”.

It is part of an overhaul of Lancashire County Council’s approach to road maintenance which the authority says will make for a more effective and efficient system that ensures “long-lasting” repairs.

County Hall has entered into a multi-million pound partnership with Blackburn-based Multevo which has seen the new kit already deployed on Lancashire’s roads.

It works by recycling existing material on site to fix carriageway defects - a process which it is claimed will achieve a higher standard of repair repair, as well as reducing the cost of each one.

Under a warranty that forms part of the new arrangement, any work that does need to be redone, will be carried out at no extra cost to the county council.

The contract also features a so-called “embedded innovation clause”, which means Multevo must demonstrate annual improvements to the way it operates.

County Cllr Warren Goldsworthy (centre) has high hopes for the new pothole-filling technique being used in Lancashire | LCC

placeholder image — County Cllr Warren Goldsworthy (centre) has high hopes for the new pothole-filling technique being used in Lancashire | LCC

The new system has brought to an end the multiple daily-rate contracts the authority used to enter into for many of its pothole repairs in favour of working with a single provider.

However, the county council’s own in-house road maintenance teams will remain, whom highways chiefs say will now have more time to focus on the most urgent repairs, as well as the pre-planned resurfacing work that goes on all year round.

During the first six weeks of the contract, Multevo has repaired around 3,500 individual reported defects – with each one being scrutinised by the company and then by the county council to ensure they are done well.

Cabinet member for highways and transport at the Reform UK-controlled authority, Warren Goldsworthy, said of the new set-up: “This exciting new partnership is a more efficient, cost-effective and streamlined way of managing the huge number of defects that get reported to us every day.

"This shift ensures that repairs are done in a timely manner and to the highest standard, first time around, using innovative techniques that are being pioneered by Multevo.

"The ‘recycle, rejuvenate, repair’ method of pothole repair in particular is going to revolutionise how we approach pothole repairs.

"This groundbreaking new partnership is already making a real difference to residents' lives – and we’re only just getting started."

Matt Townsend, director of highways and transport, at the authority, added: "This new partnership is transforming how we maintain roads across Lancashire, prioritising a first-time, permanent repair approach that delivers lasting results.

"Innovation is at the core of this partnership – bolstering our own workforce and enabling us to provide more efficient, cost-effective services that offer real value to Lancashire residents."

Established in 2010 with just four staff members, Multevo now employs more than 340 people nationwide. The firm was recently ranked in the top 400 fastest-growing companies in Europe by the Financial Times.

Multevo Director Josh Sweeney said: “We are incredibly excited to be able to pioneer our industry leading permanent road repair treatments in our home county.

"Like everyone, we all use the road network and are looking forward to helping to make a real positive difference on Lancashire’s roads by fixing [potholes] permanently first time.”