“It really isn’t fun getting wet nearly every day you want to travel by train”

I read The Star’s story about the proposed changes around the railway station (The Star, March 11), and I noticed that as usual all the images selected by the planners/developers show a Sheffield basking in sunshine.

Obviously, there are sunny days in Sheffield.

However, last year I think there were more than 130 ‘rain days’.

And with climate change, that number is likely to grow.

This matters to railway travellers as many of them have to get to and from the station from the station’s multi-storey car park.

At present in inclement weather, travellers can make use of the covered pavement from the station to the current car park, thankfully provided following prompting and suggestions from the public, as I believe it was not shown in the original images prior to that consultation process.

In the plan’s description on page eight is the comment ‘under the plans the Q Park would move to the Wren-DFS site on nearby St Mary’s Road’ and ‘officials say it would be no more than a five-minute walk’.

Well, I think for most people walking five-minutes in pouring rain or winter weather carrying bags and hauling cases is really not very pleasant, or an attractive prospect.

It’s not made clear why the Q Park has to move.

Surely the plan could be rejigged to retain the current car park location even if another, possibly smaller, car park is required at the Wren-DFS site to meet other requirements of the scheme.

In any event, if car parking is to be moved then as a minimum a covered pavement or walkway should be provided so railway passengers do not get a soaking.

The images shown do not show a covered way on Suffolk Road, although there are some very small awnings shown.

Perhaps the alternative route from the Wren-DFS site across Suffolk Road and along Fornham Street and Cross Turner Street will be covered to give the necessary protection.

Indeed perhaps it’s in the proposed plan already it’s just that you did not show (or have available), the image of that route.

However, it doesn’t look like it from what little can be seen of the Suffolk Road/Fornham Street junction in the drawing on page nine.

Let’s hope that that route is indeed weather protected.

It really isn’t fun getting wet nearly every day you want to travel by train.