The MP for Louth and Horncastle is waging war on the ‘epidemic’ of potholes across Lincolnshire by unveiling a planned, new policy.

Victoria Atkins says the Conservatives would deploy a National Pothole Patrol, backed by £112.5 million worth of funding, if they win the next General Election.

Under the plan, the patrol would send hundreds of modern, specialist road-repair machines directly to councils, such as Lincolnshire County Council, enabling them to fix potholes faster, at scale and where they are worst.

The MP says: “Here in Lincolnshire, our roads in many areas are riddled with potholes.

Potholes are the scourge of motorists across Lincolnshire. (PHOTO BY: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

placeholder image — Potholes are the scourge of motorists across Lincolnshire. (PHOTO BY: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

"The Conservatives say enough is enough, so we have announced a major plan to tackle the pothole epidemic.

"Our Pothole Patrol would fix roads faster, save drivers money and help Britain get working again.

"Earlier this year, I launched a campaign based on identifying unrepaired potholes and making sure these get reported and fixed.

"Now I welcome the Conservatives’ plan to tackle our crumbling road network. We are on the side of motorists and rural communities.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “We understand the importance of vehicles to families and businesses. That’s why we’re prioritising the repair of our roads.”

Richard Holden, Shadow Transport Secretary, said: “Drivers are in despair as roads across the country crumble. The Pothole Patrol would bring a national mission to fix Britain’s broken roads, using the latest technology and co-ordination to get repairs done faster.”

During the winter, the county council, run by Reform UK, admitted that Lincolnshire’s roads were in a “much worse” condition than usual.

However, it had brought in an additional 21 maintenance teams to help keep up with the demand for repairs.

It was also trialling the Pothole Pro machine, which cuts out sections of road around potholes for neater repairs. Manufacturer JCB claimed this worked up to four times more quickly than traditional methods.

The council also had a programme of works planned and hoped to spend £118 million on highway maintenance in 2026 and 2027.

Independent research by Kwik Fit found that two-thirds of drivers think the country’s roads are getting worse, with 12.8 million reporting pothole damage in the last year. Of those drivers suffering pothole damage, one in eight had to be picked up by a tow truck.