Oxfordshire Tests New Pothole Repair Methods in Major Banbury Trial

Oxfordshire County Council has launched a large-scale trial of pothole repair techniques as part of efforts to find more durable and cost-effective ways of maintaining the county’s roads.

Working with its highways contractor M Group, the council used Wildmere Road in Banbury as a live test site for 15 different repair and patching methods.

A 700-metre section of the road was closed and divided into separate trial areas, with each section treated using a different repair technique. This approach allows the council and its contractor to compare the performance of each method under the same road and traffic conditions.

The event follows a similar innovation trial held in Steventon in 2023, which tested seven repair methods and was believed to be the first trial of its kind in the UK. Several techniques from that earlier event were later adopted, while others were ruled out.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said the latest trial reflects the council’s commitment to exploring new ways to tackle road defects across its 3,000-mile network.

She said the impact of potholes over the winter had been severe both locally and nationally, making it essential to test emerging technologies and materials to ensure public money is spent effectively.

Since January 2026, M Group has repaired more than 33,000 highway defects in Oxfordshire. That compares with 37,042 potholes repaired during the whole of the previous financial year.

The council said the increase followed difficult weather conditions, including a long freeze followed by extended rainfall, which created ideal conditions for potholes to form. At the height of the problem, more than 1,000 reports were being received each week, with one week in early March seeing more than 1,300 defects reported.

To address the backlog, the number of repair crews was increased from seven to 25. Additional specialist equipment was also brought in, including a Bobcat planer, Dragon Patcher and thermal road repair technology.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said the latest trial builds on a long-running partnership with the council to identify better approaches to road maintenance.

He said the aim is to understand which products and techniques provide the best value in different conditions, helping improve efficiency, durability and outcomes for residents.

The trial comes as councils across the UK face increasing pressure from changing weather patterns, with wetter winters and hotter summers placing additional strain on local road networks.