West Northamptonshire Council is investing £450,000 into new advanced equipment which will help improve the authority’s ability to carry out additional maintenance across its road network, to deliver a high-quality service for road users.

The investment forms part of the Council’s long-term vison to improve roads and maintain paths, signage and vegetation through the Highways contract and follows the announcement in May that an additional £2.8 million worth of funds will be put into the Highways contract in 23/24.

Over the next few weeks, a new Thermal Road Repair machine and the JCB Pothole Pro will be rolled out across West Northamptonshire by WNC and its Highways partner, Kier. The machinery will be used to carry out maintenance to roads by both repairing existing potholes and carrying out preventative maintenance to reduce the number of potholes that form in the future. The equipment offers advanced technology, delivers high-quality outputs with the benefit of low emissions and reduced waste, while providing an effective solution to asphalt defect repairs.

Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste at WNC said: “We know that the condition of our roads, verges and signage is very important to all of our road users.

“We are pleased to be investing in new and advanced technology which will benefit our road users and enable us to work with Kier to provide an improved service across the area.

“By working together, it is clear to see the changes which are already being made. We look forward to continuing to work with Kier over the forthcoming months and years.

John Coombes, general manager for Kier Transportation in West Northamptonshire, added: “We’re thrilled to receive this investment which will allow us to work more efficiently and make more progress on improving road conditions. We’re driving innovation in highway technology, enabling us to continue to deliver safe and efficient roads for the residents across West Northamptonshire.“

Kier has set its commitment to working with the council on its sustainability goals to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, as well as increasing social value to the service to benefit the wider West Northants community and economy, such as supporting local disadvantaged groups and working with local sub-contractors.