Councils in England will be given a share of more than £200 million including £151 million to reward examples of improved practice.

The Department for Transport will fund early stage research into new surface materials or pothole repair techniques such as 3D printing.

A digital hub will also be set up for experts to share and develop innovations.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “It is now up to highways authorities to innovate and use new technologies to solve the problem.”

Current innovations include north-east Lincolnshire where the council and partner ENGIE have introduced a new heat and recycle system which mixes new and existing surfaces to create a thermo-bond and reduce the potential for weak points which let in water, creating potholes.

As the technique recycles the existing surface, no waste is taken to landfill.

The government has already announced it will be providing £23m for trials of new technologies to develop pothole-free roads, such as using kinetic energy to heat surfaces, recycling plastic waste into a harder-wearing surface or installing sensors to predicts where issues might occur.