Brackley's Mr Pothole launches challenge to mark National Pothole Day

Mark Morrell ‘Mr Pothole’ - the world’s best-known pothole campaigner – has launched a challenge to mark National Pothole Day 2022 - January 22 - for people to find the road in the worst condition they know and he will campaign for its repairs.

Mr Morrell said this one of his social media posts about National Pothole Day: "Let's get reporting any potholes you have seen. It may save a life, injury or damage to vehicles."

The challenge involves people finding the road with the worst conditions they know and sending in details of the location with pictures and or a video. People should email the information to [email protected].

National Pothole Day has landed Mr Morrell with spots on several national TV shows tomorrow (Friday January 14) with the Breakfast with Eamonn & Isabel show on GB News, to BBC News, Channel 5 and ITV News.

Mr Morrell, who is from Brackley and a former town mayor, said: "I have been campaigning for nearly nine years now. I have read everything I can about the subject even back parliamentary papers to year 2000.

"I have campaigned getting millions of pounds works carried out as you know. I founded National Pothole Day eight years ago.

"I have issued legal notices under Highways Act to get essential roads maintenance works carried out. I was involved with the first national pothole training course with Lantra. I have given advice to MPs on the issue of potholes in their constituencies. Had meetings in Westminster with Shadow Transport Minister and then in his own constituency.

"I've been part of TV documentaries, on every breakfast show, TV news, newspapers national and local, carried out hundreds of radio interviews both local and nationally. So have I made a difference? I hope so given all of the above."

As proud sponsors of National Pothole Day for many years, UltraCrete are continuing their campaign for safer roads by bringing together key and influential industry figures to discuss the importance of innovation for the regeneration of UK roads.

As a market-leading manufacturer of highway maintenance materials, UltraCrete feel they have a responsibility to raise awareness of the state of the nation’s roads and campaign for additional funding to help maintain and provide support for our road network.

Richard Moss, brand manager at UltraCrete, said: “National Pothole Day brings all organisations together to talk about how we can support our road network and how we can drive things forward. Whether it’s through innovation of new products, machinery or techniques used, it’s incredibly important that we all come together on this day.”

Previous campaigning has included driving a bright orange tank through London and surveying over a thousand road users to understand how poorly maintained roads impact the everyday road user and to truly understand what changes need to be made to make a real difference to the nation’s pothole riddled roads.

Change doesn’t happen overnight but by adapting methodologies and developing new products and technologies we have the capacity to make and see real change on our road network, and it is this exact reason why this year’s National Pothole Day theme is ‘Innovation for the Regeneration of UK Roads.'

Mr Morrell said: “There’s a massive challenge with government cuts, another 20-25 per cent for highway authorities, so that pot of money is under even more pressure. The only way to get out of that cycle is through innovation.”

Mr Moss added: “Innovation helps and supports the highway industry due to its ever-changing requirements. It is incredibly important that we keep modifying techniques to maintain and keep providing better networks.”

UltraCrete is hosting a webinar on the pothole crisis tomorrow, Friday January 14. To take part in the webinar use the following web link: https://trainingacademy.instarmac.co.uk/event/webinar-on-the-pothole-crisis/Follow #NoMorePotholesUK on social media to take part and share your thoughts on this year’s campaign.