Devon County Council moves to 'climate focused' road repairs

Devon County Council is working to reduce carbon emissions in road maintenance

A council has moved to a "climate focused" approach to road maintenance.

Devon County Council is changing the way it fixes roads to use less carbon as it tries to be net zero by 2030.

The change has been made as part of a review by the authority to asses the carbon impact of the work it does.

The council said it was putting "carbon-reduction at the heart of our design, alongside performance and cost".

'Game changer'

As part of the review the council examined materials used, how those materials were produced and applied, as well as the amount of labour and time it took for individual projects and the longevity of them.

All aspects of road maintenance from pothole repairs to construction of new features have been reviewed and a "carbon calculator" used to asses the impact.

Stuart Hughes, cabinet member responsible for highway maintenance, said: "In the past, we've looked at road maintenance from the point of view of cost and quality.

"Now we're thinking about the materials we use, how high in carbon their production is, and whether there's a lot of waste and how long that repair will last."

Cooler materials are being used to resurface roads in a bid to lower emissions

"It's putting carbon-reduction at the heart of our design, alongside performance and cost," he said.

Andrea Davis, the council's cabinet member with responsibility for climate change response, called the move a "game changer".

"This new carbon calculator approach to what we do is changing the way we think.

"It puts carbon reduction front and centre in our approach to highway maintenance."

Changes have included using a cooler mix for road resurfacing.

The authority said it helped reduce carbon emissions through the heating process and shorter cooling time, which led to fewer road closures and emissions.