Mayor on 'shocking' potholes

The mayor of South Yorkshire says he is "frustrated" that power is being taken away from regional politicians and communities when it comes to potholes and planning applications.

Oliver Coppard has spoken out about potholes, plans for a controversial solar farm - and why is it time for the Prime Minister to move aside for someone else.

The Labour mayor has been answering questions on BBC Radio Sheffield's phone-in Call Coppard.

Read our takeaways from the hour below or listen to the full interview here.

"The answer is no. This is an example of where I'm finding this frustrating - I ran a meeting on the Whitestone solar farm development which I know a lot of people will be worried about and impacted by.

"I'm a massive fan of renewable energy but we haven't yet reached capacity to put solar panels on the roofs of schools, hospitals, infrastructure etc. We should have solar panels everywhere and we have loads of roof space we could use.

"There is a plan to put a solar farm the size of 2,000 football pitches on the green belt in South Yorkshire near Maltby. It is in entirely the wrong place.

"The local councils and communities don't want it yet there is a national planning infrastructure. Ultimately it goes to the government and it's a quasi-judicial process.

"As long as they meet all the different requirements, the government are limited in what they can do.

"It's an example of where the decisions that affect our lives are taken by private companies, by businesses, by people who we have signed this power over to but who we can't control now.

"I can't stop it but I wish I could."

"Amey are in charge of repairing potholes and I would like to know why they aren't doing that job.

"A contract was signed with the council, and I would absolutely crack on with making sure Amy are doing their job.

"One of the things that really annoys and frustrates me is we have signed all these contracts everywhere that give power and responsibility to private companies because we are trying to get best value for money and bring in people with expertise.

"But then what happens is when you have a pothole on your road, the decision whether or not to fill it is taken by someone working for Amey in a building miles away. That's incredibly frustrating.

"There are some places where the potholes have been sorted out but there's still some awful roads where the potholes are just shocking."

"Firstly, let me pay tribute to the two young lads who lost their lives recently in South Yorkshire, Mackenzie Swift and Muhammed Secka, because for any family that is their worst nightmare and my heart goes out to them.

"Kids should be able to just go out and play and sometimes that means being near water.

"We need to see investment in communications and helping young people, in particular, to understand the dangers of being in or near the water.

"We also need investment in facilities so young people aren't just using facilities where they might get into trouble.

"Where are those spaces in South Yorkshire where you can get in the water on a hot day and be supervised, where you can have a bit of fun but also be looked after?"

"I hate to say this but I'm on the fence. I think social media can be a really damaging thing for young people. I've got nieces and nephews, and I am worried about the effects on them as they get older with bullying and inappropriate material.

"It's also the effect on their brains as they are watching things day after day when they could be reading books or playing out. Sometimes I feel I need a curfew as we all use it a bit too much as adults.

"On the other hand, I also know that social media can play a really positive role in young people's lives in helping them connect to people they otherwise wouldn't meet such as friends from other schools and other countries.

"If you're a bit different to some of the kids at your school, you can find a new friendship group."

"Keir Starmer has done some brilliant things for South Yorkshire which have been game changing, not least the amount of money we now get for public transport, but people are deeply frustrated with him as the Prime Minister.

"I don't think the Prime Minister has got to grips with how communication, news and information is passed on in this day and age, in terms of telling a story about his priorities and how he's driving that change forward.

"I can see how the government is trying to change this country, but I don't remember the last time I heard the prime minister talk about that, or the effect of poor public transport on people's lives or how hard people find life right now.

"I don't think he's been able to tell a story, and I think the moment has come where he has to set out a timetable and invite that new leadership in to govern the country and hopefully take us forward."