Double the amount of money set to be spent fixing Luton’s pothole problem

As part of a multi-million-pound programme Luton Council is to double the amount of money spent on fixing potholes in the town.

The ‘most ambitious highway teams programme ever’ will see the council resurface the roads and use sustainable treatments to reduce the number of potholes around Luton in the future. Working with contractor VolkerHighways, the council says more than 1,560 potholes will be fixed in this financial year – nearly 600 more than in 2021-22.

The council said: "We have invested £3.1 million capital spend on resurfacing the backlog of roads requiring resurfacing and £1.1 million on surface treatments which are designed to prolong the life of the road and prevent potholes.”

In comparison, the council spent £770,000 on patching potholes last year.

It added: "In order to remedy the additional potholes due to poor weather, we have received an additional £2 million investment in budget for the capital surfacing and surface treatment in 2023 – the same amount of investment as was given in 2022.

"In 2023 -24 however, we have had an increase in revenue of £127,000 in the budget for carriageway repairs."

Emergency works have started on Mountgrace Road, Albert Road, Latimer Road and Vauxhall Way.

Recent survey results showed that residents consider the condition of Luton’s road as the highest priority when asked for feedback about highways and transport issues.

Cllr Javed Hussain said: “The extra money we are investing in Luton’s roads is a commitment to ensure we repair as many potholes as possible, as well as treating other roads to keep them in better condition for longer and to help stop potholes forming in the first place.

“Surface treatments are a sustainable and cost-effective way to protect and preserve our roads in the future, meaning we will be spending less on pothole repairs in the future.”

While Jerry Pert, operations director for VolkerHighways, was pleased to be working with the council. He said: “Throughout the duration of the works, we will work closely with Luton Council and other stakeholders to minimise disruption to the local community and ensure ample notice is given to affected residents.”

Specialist contractor RMS will use treatments to help keep roads in good condition for longer while stopping cracks and potholes.