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Labour councillors have called for Sheffield Council to rethink an active neighbourhood causing concern halfway through a six month trial.

The scheme which blocks off several roads in Crookes and Walkley aims to make streets safer, cleaner and quieter.

The politicians will demand more clarity on how the Crookes and Walkley scheme will be implemented, better communication and more involvement with residents at a meeting with the council’s head of strategic transport and infrastructure this week.

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Councillors Ruth Milsom and Minesh Parekh outside Sheffield Town Hall.

In a joint statement, local councillors Ruth Milsom, Minesh Parekh, Tom Hunt and Ben Curran said they support the scheme but said there had been serious concerns from residents and businesses from the beginning.

They said: “People who like the changes, as well as people who don’t, have all told us that the initial public engagement and design process should have been better.

“We are now three months into a six-month formal consultation period, and too many of the trial measures still haven’t been implemented.

“Residents are frustrated with the uncertainty about what is happening and concerned about the implementation of the scheme. We share those concerns. No-one is satisfied with the current situation, whether they like the trial or not.

“The trial will have better outcomes and more legitimacy if the next steps are clearly informed by local public opinion.”

Green Party councillor Ruth Mersereau disagreed that the scheme needed to be paused following a meeting of the transport, regeneration and climate change committee where these issues were discussed.

She said: “It’s really important to give the schemes sufficient time to bed in, and to properly trial the interventions. Also, as officers advised that they would be continuing to accept comments and feedback, pausing for further consultation is unnecessary.

“Sheffield Council is aiming for zero carbon by 2030, but there is very little recognition of the urgency to make decisions that address transport’s contribution to emissions. Making streets safer, cleaner and quieter, and easier for people to walk and cycle in should be the priority of a committee which includes climate change in its remit.”

An active travel scheme is also taking place in Nether Edge.

Calls to rethink ‘concerning’ active neighbourhood in Sheffield suburbs