Reducing pothole-fixing machine fleet 'a concern'

A fleet of pothole-fixing vehicles has been cut despite a council previously saying the speed and efficiency of the machines had been a "game changer".

The leader of Wiltshire Council Ian Thorn said a fleet of three bobcat machines were reduced to two in July giving it "greater flexibility to invest in a range of highway maintenance activities".

However, some councillors including Dominic Muns, said the decision was "a concern", questioning whether the council had genuinely caught up with its backlog of pothole repairs.

The machines were part of a £22m investment over two years to help improve the speed and efficiency of pothole repairs across the region.

Thorn said it was the "right approach", but the council would review its position later in the year and "re-introduce a third Bobcat if necessary", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Kevin Asplin said the decision did not match the expectations of residents in his area.

Muns said: "The difference, for me, is the type of repair a Bobcat provides – a permanent fix rather than a cold-lay repair. In other words, a temporary fix.

"If we had retained the third Bobcat and repaired the potholes properly and permanently, we would genuinely be reducing the list."

A report considered by the committee blames the deterioration of Wiltshire's 2,800 miles (4,506 km) of roads on their age, underlying clay soil, extreme weather and the increasing weight of vehicles.

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