A NEW multi-million pound highways contract for Somerset has been signed which could mean fewer potholes in the county.

The contract, likely to be in the region of £20 million per year, will see more focus on Somerset's highways and aims to reduce the number of potholes and providing a more responsive highways service.

Councillor David Fothergill, Somerset County Council's Cabinet Minister, who is responsible for highways said: “I am delighted that we have signed a contract with Skanska.

"It is a much better contract than we had before, it delivers a lot more innovation and creativity.

"It is a seven year contract to start with and provides stability as we continue improvements.

"We will be looking to recruit more apprentices to work with us and create a streamlined service.

The signing of a new Term Maintenance Contract may not sound very exciting, but it covers a lot of services which we know are very important to people.

“It’s great news that we’ve been able to secure a value for money deal with several enhancements.

"One of the goals which I know will be popular includes a commitment to reducing the number of potholes over the life of the contract. We’ll also be looking to improve customer satisfaction and make sure that at least 85 per cent of the supply chain spend stays in the local community.

“We’re proud of the work already being carried out with Skanska but are already working hard to do even better once the new contract begins in April.”

Somerset County Council and Skanska have agreed a deal for highways maintenance in the county which will run from April 1 2017 to March 31 2024, with the option to extend for a further three years based on performance.

As part of the seven year contract, Skanska will be working with SCC to deliver a number of benefits from visiting local schools to helping the County Council secure maximum funding from the government.

Skanska has said it aims to reduce the number of potholes through preventative work such as drainage improvements and resurfacing, making sure supply chain spend remains in local communities by supporting suitable local businesses wherever possible and boosting customer satisfaction by providing a more responsive service.

The contractor also aims to identify further savings and apply industry best-practice to ensure the contract offers the best possible deal for taxpayers.

Simon White, Operations Director for Skanska, said: “We are delighted to continue our delivery of highways maintenance services for Somerset County Council.

"This long-term partnership enables us to deliver a responsive and high-quality highways maintenance service for communities and road users across Somerset.

“Using our locally based teams and suppliers, combined with innovative solutions from across our business, we will help maintain and improve roads across the county.”

Skanska was awarded the contract following an extensive procurement process which was carried out jointly with Devon and Plymouth Councils to ensure competitiveness and to put in place opportunities for future collaborative working.

Although the procurement process was joint, Devon County Council and Plymouth City Council will each have their own contract. The authorities and their contractors will work together through the lifetime of the contracts to continually improve the cost effectiveness of their highway services. Devon has also agreed to appoint Skanska as its new contractor, while Plymouth City Council awarded its contract to South West Highways Ltd.

Adrian Cooke, Managing Director at Skanska said: "Skanska are also delighted about securing the contract with Somerset County Council.

"This is strengthening the relationship with Somerset County Council and with Highways.

"This new contract is fantastic news for our staff and we now can provide a long term employment in the region and seek to continue recruiting apprentices to work for us as we have been for the last few years.

"It is also great news for the road users of Somerset as we intend to work closely together to improve the quality of the highways in the region."