"We’ve never been this quiet in 20 years" - Sheffield cafe fears for future amid council roadworks
Cafe owner fears for future as roadworks hit trade
A Sheffield cafe owner says council roadworks are “killing” his business - and he now fears for its future with trade the quietest it has been in 20 years.
Ian Scott, who runs Courtyard Cafe in Attercliffe with his daughter Hope, said the disruption caused by Sheffield City Council’s ‘Connecting Sheffield’ scheme is costing the business more than £1,000 a month.
He is now considering cutting staff hours as customers stay away, but said it is the last thing he wants to do, as each worker has a family to support.
The council is constructing a segregated two-mile route bike lane from the city centre to the Arena as part of a £23m scheme announced in 2024.
More than a mile of double red lines through Attercliffe will ban parking, loading and waiting 24-hours a day, backed by a fine.
The aim is to prevent the new bike lane from being blocked by cars, and speed up buses.
“Well done Sheffield City Council. In 20 years, this has never happened before - no customers. These roadworks are killing us,” Ian said.
Work began on February 4, with road closures and barriers changing from week to week.
Ian believes the work outside the cafe is due to finish in November, but doubts it will be completed by then.
He fears the business will not survive another seven months of such works.
The cafe relies on workers from nearby businesses to keep trade going during the week, but Ian said the weekends have become “absolutely dead”, with some periods seeing no customers at all.
His daughter, Hope, said customers regularly ask: “Where is everybody?”
Hope is also worried about older customers who are finding it harder to get to the cafe.
She said: “Some use wheelchairs, walking sticks or walkers, while others rely on Blue Badge parking. Having to park further away and walk up hills can make visiting difficult.
“Some of our elderly customers might only get to speak to someone when they come in here once a week. When they stop coming in, you worry about them because you don’t know if they’re okay.”
She believes clearer signs would help people understand how to reach businesses during the works.
“I'd rather have three signs than one sign people don't understand. But I don’t want to have to tell the council every time, they need to be proactive,” she said.
The cafe is not the only business facing difficulties.
A nearby sewing shop recently closed and the Carlton pub has also raised concerns.
“Look at Moor Market, they gave each of them £500. Where’s that for us?” Ian said.
Sheffield City Council said it was sorry to hear about the concerns raised by businesses.
The council said it had held online engagement, in-person drop-in sessions and a statutory consultation on the traffic regulation order. It said it was working with businesses and reviewing possible changes to improve delivery access, customer parking and accessibility.
It added there was no compensation scheme for businesses affected by the works, but it would hold an event to discuss other ways to support traders.
The council said that once complete the ‘Connecting Sheffield’ scheme would support regeneration, new homes and better connections across the area.
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