Burngreave: £1.8m awarded to transform Sheffield neighbourhood by making it more pedestrian friendly

Nearly £1.8 million has been awarded to transform a Sheffield neighbourhood by making it more pedestrian friendly.

The money will be used to improve junctions in Burngreave, giving pedestrians priority over motorised vehicles there, and to create three new pedestrian crossings, improving safety and encouraging more people in the area to walk.

How will the money be spent?

The £1,771,033 for Burngreave is part of £4.86m in total which was secured by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) from Active Travel England to boost walking and cycling across the county.

That includes nearly £1m for bike hire, training and maintenance schemes, and £500,000 over two years to pilot an e-bike hire scheme across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley.

There is also £1,074,629 to create a segregated cycle route on Bawtry Road, in Doncaster, and provide new crossings to make it easier to walk and wheel.

And in Barnsley, a total of £411,863 was awarded to develop plans to improve walking, wheeling and cycling facilities in Athersley and Bolton Upon Dearne, with a focus on developing active travel routes to schools.

The money was announced by the Government agency Active Travel England on Saturday, March 23.

'A potential game-changer'

South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard described the funding as 'a signal of support for our huge ambition' to make South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country.

"If we are going to give people the freedom and choice to move more and move differently, we need the funding to improve not just infrastructure but offer the training, skills and support for people who want to make that change for themselves," he added.

"This is a huge signal that we are now making real progress, and important partners like Active Travel England are beginning to see that too."

South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner, Ed Clancy, said the funding would help 'break down the barriers that are limiting people using healthier travel choices'.

He called e-bikes a 'potential game-changer for those who are not currently physically active'.