Anger over delay in resurfacing the 'worst road in Sheffield'

A road dubbed the 'worst in Sheffield' has yet to be resurfaced two years after a biker was seriously injured in a crash blamed on potholes.
Deerlands Avenue has been dubbed 'the worst road in Sheffield'Deerlands Avenue has been dubbed 'the worst road in Sheffield'
Deerlands Avenue has been dubbed 'the worst road in Sheffield'

Deerlands Avenue, in Parson Cross, was due to be renovated two years ago as part of the £2 billion Streets Ahead programme, according to those living along the busy residential street.

But after being notified of the date, they say no work was carried out and they never received an explanation.

A biker was seriously injured on the road two years agoA biker was seriously injured on the road two years ago
A biker was seriously injured on the road two years ago
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The road is now listed for resurfacing in 2017 - the final year of a five-year renovation project being carried out by contractor Amey for Sheffield City Council.Those in charge this week insisted that was always the planned date and said the work would be completed then.

Speaking on Tuesday (November 1), residents of Deerlands Avenue branded it the 'worst in Sheffield' and said they felt like the city's 'forgotten' relations.Dean Towers, aged 55, told how in June 2014 a motorcyclist was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries after hitting a pothole in the road and losing control.

At the time, he said, police had criticised the state of the road, and potholes at the scene of the crash were quickly repaired by Amey.

But he said this 'patch-up job' and others since were not a permanent solution as rain, ice and heavy traffic soon undid such repairs, leaving behind even bigger craters."It's terrible. Taxi drivers hate coming along here. They say it's the worst road in Sheffield," he added.Andrew Hobson, a pizza delivery driver, aged 61, said: "This road's terrible. It was meant to be fixed two years ago but nothing happened. I just assumed they'd run out of money. I'm not confident it will ever be resurfaced."

Local resident Andrew HobsonLocal resident Andrew Hobson
Local resident Andrew Hobson
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Sinead Parker, aged 42, said: "They've filled in a few holes but it doesn't last and it's like a patchwork quilt now. Every time they say it's going to be renewed they run out of money."The crumbling state of Deerlands Avenue is in sharp contrast to the pristine surface of adjoining Adlington Road, which was relaid in 2013, and many other nearby streets that have also already undergone a makeover.

However, it is not the only busy thoroughfare awaiting repairs despite being in a dire state, as a bone-rattling drive around parts of the city like Moonshine Lane and Norwood Road to the south of Parson Cross will attest.

When the Streets Ahead programme began in 2012, those in charge said it would transform Sheffield's roads from Britain's worst - as they were officially declared that year in a government report - to the 'best in the country'.

The 25-year private finance initiative (PFI) deal was funded by £800 million from council coffers and £1.2bn of Government money.

Dean TowersDean Towers
Dean Towers
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Under the agreement, Amey is is tasked with upgrading two thirds of the city's streets during the first five years, before maintaining them to that standard over the following 20 years.Street improvement works, including the replacement of all the city's existing lamp posts with new LED lights, began in early September 2012 and are due to be completed by the end of 2017.

A Streets Ahead spokesperson said more than 500 miles of road and 1,100 miles of pavement had been resurfaced to date and the initial upgrade work remained on course for completion by the end of next year.

"We would like to reassure residents that Deerlands Avenue has not been forgotten and that it will be resurfaced as part of the Streets Ahead contract in 2017," she added.She claimed the road was always scheduled to be resurfaced next year under the programme, which she said had been designed to minimise disruption for drivers.