The council took part in a trial demonstration of the PotholePro last summer where the machine repaired in excess of 100 m2 of patches in the road in just two hours. A stretch of road that usually takes four days to repair.

After closely monitoring the potential impact on road repairs, the council ordered the machine and it is now working on the city’s roads.

The JCB PotholePro breaks the road and cleans the hole, without the need for any hand working, so a permanent repair can be carried out. It can do this in less than eight minutes.

Cllr Patricia Hetherton, cabinet member for city services at Coventry City Council, said: ‘Freezing conditions effect our roads during winter and have a big impact on the roads – so innovations like this are really important.

‘We’ve almost 900 kilometres of road to look after. So, anything that can speed up the process of repair and maintenance and save money is a win, win.

‘The highways team are really pleased about the way it is working. It’s really exciting to see it operating.’

Cllr Richard Brown, cabinet member for finance, added: ‘This is a solid investment and is an impressive machine. It’s new now but I want to see it out everywhere. It is a game changer and going to pay off in the long run and is a great example of how we are using innovation in the way we provide services.’

JCB chairman Lord Bamford commented: ‘Potholes really are a blight on our nation and the solution we have developed with the JCB PotholePro offers a quick and permanent fix. I’m delighted that Coventry City Council is joining other authorities across the UK in investing in the JCB PotholePro, which is exceeding expectations with its speed and productivity.’

Tests with local authorities and contractors show the JCB PotholePro can complete a pothole repair in less than eight minutes – equivalent to up to 250 square metres per day and 700 potholes per month. With a 40km/h travel speed, the machine can rapidly relocate between sites without additional transport costs.

Nick Beardmore, one of the council’s PotholePro operators, added: ‘It’s a powerful machine and really does make a massive difference. We’ve had to learn how to get to grips with the operation of the PotholePro, but we are picking it up quickly.’