North Somerset Council is putting more than £10.1 million into highway maintenance for the 2026/27 financial year alone, and a newly launched patching gang trial is the latest expression of that spending commitment. The authority has teamed up with contractor John Wainwright & Co Ltd to field a dedicated crew for reactive patching repairs. Both sides frame the arrangement as a test of whether a focused team can stretch the maintenance budget further and deliver better value for the district.
The commercial logic behind the trial is straightforward: potholes and road defects become costlier the longer they are left alone. By targeting faults early, before they deteriorate and demand more extensive intervention, the council and its contractor aim to increase the number of repairs completed, improve response times and assess what a permanently dedicated patching operation could contribute to future highways maintenance plans. For John Wainwright & Co Ltd, the trial extends an established working relationship with the council and brings a delivery model the firm says it has already used successfully elsewhere.
Lee Seviour, Contracting Director at John Wainwright & Co Ltd, emphasised the productivity case: “This trial builds on our established working relationship with North Somerset Council and brings an approach we’ve successfully used elsewhere to the district. Our focus is on delivering quality repairs that last, with a dedicated team able to tackle road defects before they develop into bigger problems. Working closely with the council, we’ll draw on that experience to make the best use of each shift and keep disruption to a minimum. The trial will help demonstrate how a dedicated patching gang can support more effective maintenance and deliver better value for North Somerset’s communities.”
For the contractor, the emphasis on quality repairs that last speaks to the return side of the equation. Durable fixes reduce the risk of repeat work, and efficient use of each shift is central to making the model financially worthwhile. The council, for its part, positions the trial within a wider highways transformation programme built on data, inspections and evidence-led decision making, designed to maximise the impact of the funding available.
Cllr Hugh Malyan, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at North Somerset Council, presented the initiative as an efficiency play. “We’re determined to keep North Somerset moving and that means finding smarter ways to repair and maintain our roads,” he said. “This dedicated patching gang will allow us to carry out more reactive repairs, address defects sooner and help improve journeys for residents, businesses and commuters right across North Somerset. The trial is an opportunity to test how a dedicated patching operation could support our future highways maintenance plans. By investing in innovative approaches and working closely with our contractors, we’re continuing to build a more efficient and responsive highways service for our communities.”
The £10.1 million budget for this financial year includes funding specifically allocated to both planned and reactive repairs, and the dedicated gang is intended to sharpen the reactive side of that spend. Deployment will span the highway network each week, guided by areas identified through inspections, reports from residents and routine maintenance activity. That targeting reflects the wider programme’s stated goal of delivering the right work in the right place at the right time.
Operationally, the trial gives the council insight into how targeted repairs can improve road conditions and prevent further deterioration, evidence that will shape how future maintenance budgets are structured and how the authority contracts with its suppliers. If the model proves its worth, the results could inform the council’s longer-term highways plans and its approach to allocating the annual maintenance pot.
Members of the public still have a role in the economics of the scheme, since resident reports feed directly into the repair pipeline. Anyone who spots a pothole or road defect can submit it through North Somerset Council’s online reporting service, which passes the details straight to the relevant highways team for assessment, helping the authority identify and prioritise repairs across the network and, ultimately, decide where the money goes next.