Rotherham’s local highways are set to benefit from £10m worth of repair and maintenance programmes this year.
When it meets on 11 May, Rotherham Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve the 2026/27 iteration of the Rotherham Roads Programme, including the additional funding committed by councillors.
The programme will mean that over the coming year an additional 100-plus roads will be resurfaced and 90-plus stretches of pavements will either be resurfaced or receive a surface dressing treatment to extend their life span. Notable locations for resurfacing will include Canklow roundabout, Maltby crossroads, Doe Quarry Lane at Dinnington, and Aldwarke Lane and Rawmarsh Hill at Parkgate.
Earlier this month, Minister for Roads, Simon Lightwood MP, visited Rotherham to meet with the Council’s Highways team to congratulate them on their performance maintaining and repairing roads.
The visit followed data released by the Department of Transport revealed that Rotherham Council was one of only three local authorities in England to receive a green rating for their maintenance of roads, delivery of spending of government grant on highways maintenance and the extent to which councils follow best practice.
The borough’s roads have benefited from additional local investment of £39m between 2015 and 2024, with a further £16m committed to the Rotherham Roads Programme until 2028 - £55m in total.
The investment has led to a significant reduction in the number of potholes that have required repair. In 2014/15, 34,000 potholes were repaired, during 2025/26, only 15,521 potholes needed to be repaired– meaning that the figure has more than halved since investment began.
Ongoing work thanks to the investment also means just 2.24% of Rotherham’s A Road network requires repair – less than the national average of 4%.
Meanwhile, 2.27% of Rotherham’s B and C roads need repair – again, lower than the national average of 7%.
Latest figures show that just 8.81% of Rotherham’s 774km unclassified road network requires repair, compared with the national average of 17%.
Cllr John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, said: “Nobody likes potholes and everyone should be safe when driving on our roads. That’s why we decided to tackle the problem head‑on over a decade ago and our investment has continued with our Rotherham Roads Programme which takes us to 2028.
“The figures show that the decisions we’ve repeatedly made to invest in the borough’s roads have really made a difference to the quality of the road surfaces. And for all I appreciate the ongoing frustrations of motorists in some locations that we are trying to address, our roads are in better condition than the national average, and that tells us we’re moving in the right direction.
“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’ll keep building on it. With an estimated £17 billion resurfacing shortfall nationally, we’re focused on making sure Rotherham continues to play its part and stays ahead of the curve.
“The Department for Transport recognises that we’re stepping in earlier to stop roads deteriorating in the first place. That means safer roads and better value for taxpayers too.”
Residents can report potholes via the following link: https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/roads-pavements/potholes/2
Residents interested in viewing more details about the Rotherham Roads Programme can find more information here: https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/directory/465/rotherham-council-highway-repair-programme
