Essex County Council deploys extra crews to tackle pothole emergency

Essex County Council is expanding its pothole-response capacity following a declared pothole emergency and a £7.5 million investment. The council will add three extra crews to address non-urgent potholes across its 5,000-mile road network, raising workforce coverage to 12 teams. The programme runs alongside the council’s ongoing resurfacing and repair work and focuses on defects that do not meet the threshold of being immediately dangerous. Highways and infrastructure councillor Mark Webster said the increased funding allows practical changes to how roads are fixed, and that dedicating one team per district will improve how many potholes can be filled. The investment will also support a wider range of specialist equipment to speed repairs and use appropriate tools. The council’s goal is to tackle the most concerning potholes faster and improve everyday journeys for residents.