Stretton Road protest: Sheffield residents block street near busy Ecclesall Road in row over speeding drivers

A group of residents blocked Stretton Road on the morning of Friday, February 11, preventing cars from driving down the street, although they let residents pass.

The protest, which lasted from 7.30am to 10am on a chilly morning was designed to bring attention to the problems of speeding on the road, as well as problems with residents’ parking.

Alan McGauley, one of the protesters, said: “What cars do is cut down the road, often at high speed, and save 30 seconds but endanger children’s lives and older people’s lives. What we are trying to do is get the council to look at traffic management measures to reduce this danger.

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"One of the problems we have around here is massive amounts of parking, where people leave their cars to go into town or go shopping. It means in effect you’ve got a one-lane road for most of the area.

"When cars come down at 30 and 40 miles per hour there is a danger to almost everyone in the area, so we want to try and do something about that."

Roughly two dozen residents participated in the protest, working on a rota basis, standing with a barrier and road closed sign to prevent drivers from turning onto Stretton Road.

Residents said that drivers coming from Psalter lane often use Stretton Road and Pinner Road as a shortcut to reach Ecclesall Road, rather than driving down Cowlishaw Road, where there are traffic lights.

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Laura, another protester, said: “The speed is really dangerous for kids walking to Hunters Bar school. Some of us want residents only car parking, because some people drive in from Hathersage and Dore, park on our road all day and then catch the bus to town.

"Nobody has taken us seriously before now. We have contacted the council on numerous occasions but nobody has listened to us. It really is out of control. We want somebody to take us seriously, engage with us, and come up with solutions that work for everybody.”

A vote on residents parking was last held 15 years ago, but failed to pass. Now residents believe the question should be revisited.