'Tackling potholes is one of our top priorities': Labour plan to take on 'reporting blitz' of city's crumbling roads
“We will not accept excuses for slow repairs or roads being left to fall further into disrepair”
Local councillors are set to take to the streets in what is being branded as a pothole ‘reporting blitz’.
This latest campaign comes after years of frustration over failing road infrastructure, which has seen Sheffield residents send in reems of complaints over potholes.
As a first step in hopes of tackling the issue, Labour councillors, joined by party members and MPs, are set to embark on a reporting spree, walking along the city’s roads to report every pothole they can find.
Councillor Mark Rusling, Labour lead for potholes on Sheffield City Council, said: “We know potholes are a huge issue for residents right across Sheffield, we don’t need a campaign to tell us that. But this reporting blitz will help us demonstrate to Amey the sheer scale of the problem to ensure our roads aren’t ignored.
“Residents want less talk and more repairs, and this campaign is our signal that we will not accept excuses for slow repairs or roads being left to fall further into disrepair.”
In 2012, Sheffield City Council signed the £2.2 billion ‘Streets Ahead’ contract, putting private firm Amey in charge of fixing the city’s potholes for the next 20 years.
This contract has continually faced scrutiny as questions surround whether roads have actually seen improvement over this time.
As Labour take back control of the council committee responsible for highways maintenance - which had been chaired by the Liberal Democrats since 2023 - they hope this new reporting campaign will put pressure on Amey to act in a timely manner.
The campaign will launch at 11am today (Saturday, July 11) outside ASDA on Chaucer Road, Southey.
Coun Fran Belbin, leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “Tackling potholes is one of our top priorities. We are taking a tough approach to Amey’s performance, telling them to fix potholes in the time limit set out in their contract and improve the standard of work they carry out.
“Far too many of our streets have been left to crumble, with repairs simply taking too long. And we know that residents in Southey, and across our city, are rightly fed up.
“Our campaign is about practical action - reporting problems street by street, building the evidence, and pushing for the repairs Sheffield deserves.
“Reporting potholes is not the end of our process, but it is a start. Once the issues are logged, we will continue pressing Amey to meet their obligations and get repairs done.
“This is about using the power of community to help fix our streets.”