Dunkeld Road ‘forgotten’ by resurfacing teams in Sheffield five years after protest

Householders on Dunkeld Road say it is a patchwork of repairs and pavements are so bad people with prams and wheelchair users prefer the street, and some elderly people have given up on their daily walk.

Even temporary barriers, placed around trees with bulging roots, are two years old, they say.

Their fight for a revamp has been taken up by Ecclesall councillor Shaffaq Mohammed.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DUNKELD ROAD?

He said: “Residents clearly feel forgotten by both Sheffield City Council and Amey.

“How long do they have to wait to have their road resurfaced? It is now five years since this work should have been undertaken, it is not acceptable for local residents.

“I hope this essential work is undertaken without any further delay."

WHEN WAS THE PROTEST AND WHAT WAS IT ABOUT?

One resident said in an email: “Work commenced in January 2017 when contractors arrived to fell one of our street trees. This resulted in a protest by by some mainly non-residents and police attended. But after a few days the tree was felled. The replacement tree is now five years old and starting to look good and enhance the street scene.

“But in the intervening five years very little further work has taken place and the roadway and footpaths continue to deteriorate.”

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Another wrote: “I spoke with an elderly resident this week who had given up on his daily walk because the pavements are uneven and rutted with tree roots and heave, and the road, with its cracks and potholes, equally dangerous.

“People with prams can't navigate past some of the trees without going into the road and last week I observed a wheelchair user in the road as well.”

WHAT IS THE COUNCIL SAYING?

Gillian Charters, interim head of highway maintenance at Sheffield City Council, said she ‘anticipated’ Dunkeld Road would be done by contractor Amey this year.

She added: “Consultation will be available on the council’s Citizenspace website in the coming months for Dunkeld Road, in line with the Street Tree Partnership Strategy.

“Once concluded, the council will consult the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership on the recommended option.”

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