Sheffield City Council paid out more than £200,000 as 283 injuries reported over two years

Sheffield Council has received 283 public liabilty injury claims over the last two years, new figures reveal.

It says its public liability figures are ‘in line with what would be expected’ for an authority of Sheffield’s size.

Between January 2024 and February 2026, Sheffield City Council paid out £231,704.58 in public liability claims due to injuries.

The majority of these were caused by property defects - which made up 35 per cent of the issues with 100 incidents - followed by road and footpath defects, of which 90 incidents were recorded, 33 per cent of the total 283 claims.

Of the other 283 claims, 43 were caused by tree and vegetation problems, 18 by defective equipment, five abuse and one listed as ‘falling object’.

The new data was gathered by freedom of information (FOI) requests submitted by the law firm Slater and Gordon.

The council said that it compensates people ‘fairly and appropriately’, explaining that data on claims helps advise future maintenance work.

A Sheffield City Council spokesperson said: “Like all local authorities, the council manages thousands of public assets and spaces that are used safely by residents and visitors every day.

“When incidents are reported, we have a legal duty to investigate them thoroughly and, where liability is established, to compensate those affected fairly and appropriately.

“The overall level of claims and compensation paid is in line with what would be expected for a council responsible for buildings and public spaces across a large area.

“We continue to use claims data to improve inspections, maintenance and risk management so we can reduce incidents wherever possible.”

In March, an annual report by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) described the state of roads in England and Wales as a ‘national disgrace’.

It revealed that the Yorkshire and Humber region now faces a £1.83 billion backlog of carriageway repairs, and one in six roads across the region have ‘less than five years’ structural life remaining’.

Sheffield Council figures show that pothole repairs have tripled in recent years, reaching a high of 6,179 category 1 - or ‘hazardous potholes’ greater than 40mm in depth - being filled in 2024/5, compared to only 2,348 in 2021.

Repairs of local roads are handled by the company Amey, through the 25-year ‘Streets Ahead’ contract signed in 2012.

Under this contract - which is worth £2.2bn - Amey also has responsibility for public liability claims made in relation to road and footpath failures.

In February it was announced that Amey was ‘doubling their repair capability’ by bringing in additional teams, however they faced criticism from Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh who said that roads need more than just ‘short-term firefighting’.

At the time, she added: “Repairs need to last, and our roads cannot remain in a constant cycle of patch-ups and deterioration.

“Sheffield deserves better and we need to see a far better service from Amey. I’ll keep pushing to make sure we see lasting improvements.”

Matthew Tomlinson, head of serious injury at Slater and Gordon, said: “Councils have a clear responsibility to protect members of the public in the spaces they manage. Unfortunately, there are times when standards fall short and someone is injured as a consequence.

“As public liability solicitors, we see just how common these incidents can happen. Slips, trips and falls, often cause serious injuries resulting in time off work and the need for treatment and rehabilitation – it can happen to anyone in any public setting, if safety is not prioritised.

“If you have experienced or been affected by an incident in a public space, it’s very important you understand your rights and if you can seek compensation.”

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