"Some roads are like a moonscape”: Sheffield pothole company Amey criticised for 'treating people like idiots'
“There are potholes all over Nether Edge, some roads are like a moonscape”
A councillor has accused Sheffield’s pothole repair company of “treating residents like idiots” over a “vague” new deadline for repairs.
Maroof Raouf criticised Amey for installing new signs on Osborne Road in Nether Edge stating resurfacing was planned for ‘autumn’.
It comes after the firm sent letters to residents in July stating resurfacing would start on August 24 and vehicles might be towed.
Signs then appeared warning it would be closed for 10 days from September 2 and parking was prohibited.
Coun Raouf said the new date was “more vague”.
He added: “They are treating the people of Nether Edge like idiots. Are people just supposed to wait around not knowing when they will turn up?”
Amey is half way through a 25-year £2.2bn contract with Sheffield City Council that runs until 2037.
It says Sheffield roads are among the best in the country with one per cent of ‘A’ roads needing “intervention” compared to five per cent nationally, and fewer than two potholes per mile compared to six nationally.
Last week it announced a 14-point pothole plan. Ten points are about communicating, rebuilding confidence and improving customer experience and trust.
Coun Raouf said: “It’s just hype, people on the ground don’t think that. There are potholes all over Nether Edge, some roads are like a moonscape.
“This is affecting real people and making our city look poor.”
A spokesperson for Streets Ahead, the name for the partnership between Amey and Sheffield City Council, said of Osborne Road: “Works are expected to start shortly and the exact dates will be communicated directly to residents and local councillors 10 days prior to the works starting.”
Information and dates on resurfacing are on a new map: Streets Ahead Planned Road Resurfacing Works in Sheffield