Sheffield: 'Stringent' plan to improve huge resurfacing scheme delays

Highway officers would present a report to the Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee later outlining "shortfalls and delays" to a resurfacing schedule, Sheffield City Council said

A "stringent" plan outlining delays to a huge highways maintenance scheme in Sheffield is to be presented later.

When the £2bn Streets Ahead programme began in 2012 contractors Amey said they wanted to "transform" the city's roads within the first five years.

Sheffield Council said the programme had been impacted by Covid-19, but wanted Amey to do more to meet targets.

Andy Denman from Amey said the company had a "robust plan to rectify the position quickly".

Mr Denman, Highways Service Director at Amey, said since work began the company had "delivered a significant amount of resurfacing, making improvements to roads and footpaths that have led to the Sheffield network being recognised amongst the highest standard in the country".

But he said despite the "significant quantity of resurfacing, our 'whole streets approach' has resulted in increased levels of defects on untreated roads and footpaths".

Improvements to roads and footpaths had led to the Sheffield network being recognised "among the highest standard in the country", an spokesperson for contractors Amey said

The road resurfacing is part of the 25-year long Streets Ahead scheme aimed at upgrading the condition of the city's roads, pavements, street lights and bridges.

Councillor Joe Otten, from Sheffield City Council, said since the contract started Amey had delivered "an enormous amount of resurfacing across the city", which had not only made roads and pavements safer, but had also "helped to reduce journey times and attract inward investment".

"Disappointingly there are areas where Amey have not delivered on schedule or to the standards that are outlined in the contract," he added.

Mr Otten said where Amey were not meeting requirements, the council would work through issues with them, "robustly", to ensure improvements were made.

A spokesperson for Amey said since beginning the work the company had resurfaced over 920 miles of road, 1,800 miles of pavement and cleaned around 50,000 gullies across Sheffield.

"The maintenance contract is complex, but we are confident that by working together with Sheffield City Council we will deliver to the high standards expected," they said.

Highway officers would present a report to the Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee later, Sheffield council said.