Delivering well maintained roads and value to the people of Devon

Situation:

Devon County Council oversees the largest road network of any local authority in England, maintaining approximately 12,000 kilometres of local roads, including footways, cycleways and verges.

The diverse landscape includes two coastlines and two national parks, presenting unique challenges for road maintenance. M Group has been working in partnership with Devon County Council since 2017, with our team of over 300 local people working out of nine operational depots and six winter depots, spread across the county.

Task:

Our main objective is to ensure the efficient maintenance of Devon’s extensive road network, while enhancing safety and service quality for the community. We’ve worked in collaboration with Devon County Council and our supply chain to introduce innovative solutions to drive efficiency and performance, particularly in emergency response management and innovative road repairs such as Dragon Patchers and Elastomac, as well as maintaining compliance with industry standards.

Action:

To address these challenges, we’ve undertaken several key initiatives:

• Introducing PowerBI: Our team in Devon were the first in M Group Highways to introduce PowerBI as a tool to analyse performance metrics and improve efficiency.
• Development of a custom app: An app was created to manage and coordinate emergency responses, mitigate risk and reduce the cost associated with this type of road maintenance.
• Use of advanced equipment: We have four Dragon Patchers in operation in Devon. The innovative vehicles enhance the efficiency of road defect repairs.
• Winter operations: A fleet of 47 gritters are maintained and mobilised during adverse weather conditions to make sure roads are safe and accessible.
• Compliance and accreditation: Our contract in Devon is accredited to several industry standards, including ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001, NHSS schemes 12D, 13 & 16 and ensuring quality, environmental responsibility and health and safety.

Result:

Throughout the contract, we’ve delivered significant improvements in road maintenance and community engagement.

Collectively, our team work over a million hours each year to maintain safer, greener highways in the county.

We’ve successfully inspected and emptied thousands of gullies annually, alongside repairing tens of thousands of potholes, ensuring the road network maintains in prime condition. We’ve also ensured consistent compliance with the British Standards Institution (BSI), enhancing trust with both our client and the community.

“Working in collaboration with Devon County Council, we’ve not only improved the quality of infrastructure but also delivered tangible value to communities in Devon, ensuring their roads are safe, reliable and well maintained”.

Nigel Tomlinson, Devon Highways Business Director, M Group