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Council accused of 'frittering away' cash over road U-turn
TRANSPORT bosses have been slammed for "frittering away" tens of thousands of pounds on unpopular changes to a Sheffield road - which are now set to be reversed.
Sheffield Council last year spent 315,000 creating a new terminus for the 97 bus route at Gillfield Wood, on Baslow Road, near Totley.
It replaced a terminus at the Cross Scythes pub in the village after the lease between bus company First and landlord Enterprise Inns expired and included 70,000 on new street lighting.
Thousands more paid for reduction of the speed limit to 30mph from the city to the terminus, plus a 40mph 'buffer zone' after the terminus.
Now 35,000 is to be spent switching off the lights and increasing the speed limit again after residents and countryside campaigners slammed the changes.
The move is set to be approved by Sheffield Council's cabinet highways committee today.
Totley resident Sally Goldsmith, a member of Sheffield and Peak Against City Encroachment campaign group, said: "We are really pleased the council has decided to switch the lights off - but the whole thing is a gross waste of public money."
Jannie Street, of Totley Residents' Association, said: "What a total waste of money."
Sheffield Council installed the street lights and reduced speed limits around the bus terminus because it said they were needed to comply with national guidelines.
But protesters, residents and the Campaign to Protect Rural England argued the lights "urbanised" the countryside.
The group said officials had used incorrect figures when calculating the sightline drivers had to see buses turning - used to justify the reduced speed limit.
And motorists ignored the new limits - a survey found the average speed of city-bound drivers in the 30mph zone was 40mph.
The council is turning off the 30 street lights for a 12-month experimental period. The 35,000 cost of the proposed changes includes 16,500 for signs and 3,600 to pay for the legal cost of changing the speed limit.
Another 10,000 is to be spent on a vehicle-activated warning sign to alert motorists if they are speeding on entry to Totley.
Turning off street lights will cost 1,500 but more will have to be spent if they are removed.
Street lights at the terminus will be kept on but painted grey and switched off between midnight and 5am.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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