Council launches pothole sponsorship to fill funding gap

A Little Bit of Stone is one of the first businesses in Staffordshire to take up the opportunity to sponsor a pothole following the launch of a new innovative scheme.

Residents and businesses in Stone and the entire county can now sponsor a pothole repair. As well as paying for the repair, the sponsor can choose to have their name, logo or other text/images embossed into the repair.

£385 is the average price to repair a pothole in Staffordshire; however, sponsorship of the pothole repair has been set at £495 for text or £695 for images. This additional cost is due to the additional treatment necessary to emboss the sponsorship message into the repair. The pothole repairs are guaranteed for six months, the same length the team warrants for their existing pothole repair process.

Information released by the highways department lists the following potential sponsorship opportunities;

• Residents’ Family Name or Crest
• Memorial to a deceased loved one (person or animal)
• Business sponsorship (Logo / Slogan or Company Name)
• Residents Association Name to brand local roads and estates
• Team Sponsorship – Football, Rugby, Hockey, Canoeing – Stone has many sports teams looking to draw in new members and spectators.

Highway’s spokesperson Phil Marode explained to A Little Bit of Stone:

“As a council, we’re always looking for ways to fill holes in both our budgets and our roads. Following a visit from a local primary school, one of the 6-year-olds said, “Can I write my name in that” when they saw a demonstration of the pothole-filling process.

Following an off-site brainstorming session, a 24-person think tank was put together on how the council could monetise the pothole repair process whilst offering value for money for residents and local businesses.”

Jon Cook, Editor at A Little Bit of Stone, said of the sponsorship:

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“I’m really proud that ALBOS has been able to get in on this scheme at the early stages. Having run A Little Bit of Stone for the past 12 years, we know how much emphasis people put on potholes, so our name is surely going to be spotted, and word about us will spread!”

If residents or businesses don’t want to go it alone, then they can band together either formally or informally. We spoke to the Stone North Occupants & Residents Team (SNORT), who told us:

“The entrance to our estate is comparable to the surface of the moon. SNORT members have banded together, each chipping in £15, and now we have sufficient funds to tackle the four biggest holes on the roads leading into our estate.

At £495 per pothole, the cost isn’t to be sniffed at, but it’s great to see residents coming together to improve the roads for us all.”

Paige Turner, a local book reseller who is the chair of Stone Organisation Management & Promotion (STOMP), is enthusiastic about the opportunities for local businesses and traders in the town. Paige told A Little Bit of Stone:

“How better to get a concrete return on investment than to put your money where your pothole is? Imagine driving over a pothole with your logo or business name in it, it’s a great way to create brand penetration and retention. For £495, I really can’t see a better business promotion opportunity that’s so targetted towards residents and visitors alike.”

People interested in pothole sponsorship can watch a video on how the sponsorship process works, along with how the messages are inserted. There’s also guidance on the type of things that aren’t allowed, such as rude words and inappropriate imagery. -> Staffordshire Pothole Sponsorship Video FAQs

Dee Ziner, a Stone-based graphic artist, has launched a new service to create impactful graphics for inclusion in the repairs. Dee said:

“Whenever something new is launched, there are always opportunities to create services and products to fill a gap. I’ve got over 3 months of experience in design and I’m keen to turn residents, and business owners’ dreams into something concrete.”

Have the Highways team hit on a brilliant idea? What will your filled-in hole say?