Anger over Sheffield red lines road plan for Ecclesall Road bubbles over at traders’ meeting

Sheffield City Council is proposing camera-controlled red line zones along the bus lanes on Ecclesall and Abbeydale Roads that would prohibit any parking, deliveries or waiting between 7am and 7pm. The plan has caused a backlash among businesses on both roads.

There has also been anger over a council document assessing consultation on the scheme that said very few businesses had objected when a petition was signed by more than 7,000 people.

Business owners say that there was no mention in the report of the petition or questions they asked in council meetings, other meetings or a webinar held between council leader Coun Terry Fox, Green leader Coun Douglas Johnson and the project lead for the scheme.

Nasar Raoof from Banner Cross post office said there was now a lack of trust between local businesses and the council as a result of the document.

The meeting at Marmaduke’s cafe on Ecclesall Road at Banner Cross was packed out. It had been called to discuss proposals by the council to set up a local traders’ group to look at a project to improve the shopping area with a £50,000 grant from a £2m Economic Recovery Fund set up to help local shopping areas following the pandemic.

‘Got to go’

However, although there was interest in the idea, traders said that the prohibition of parking cut across the value of any such proposals.

One business owner said: “It’s going to be difficult for us to decide when we don’t know what’s going to happen to Ecclesall Road in the future. Until we have some secure information about the parking on Ecclesall Road and what’s going to happen for our customers’ parking, it’s very difficult to envisage how we would want to spend this grant.”

An owner of three shops and flats above them said that the proposals will also affect his tenants and other residents of Ecclesall Road. He made the point that it is also a residential area.

Viv Lockwood from Banner Cross Neighbourhood Group said: “The frustration is one area of the council working in its own way and another area is working in its own way with no liaison between the two.”

He said he had been told the decision on red lines was not due to be made until June and the situation needs to be a lot clearer, adding that some traders “exist on a knife edge”.

He told council staff: “The message you need to take back is the 12-hour bus lane has got to go.”

‘Issue of trust’

Nas Raoof said: “There is an issue of trust when a report comes out saying only one business has come forward to give feedback. It’s embarrassing and insulting. We shouldn’t be working with leaders and people who want to rewrite history.

“We need honesty and transparency from the council first – the trust deficit needs to be reset.”

Marmaduke’s founder Tim Nye said: “I share the concern about the bus lane. It’s a terrible idea and hopefully it will get shelved.”

He said he hosted the event because he wants to see the funding used to make the area better, bringing people to work together.

He added: “I think this is a fabulous area and I am privileged to be part of it.”

Council staff running the meeting said they would feed back the responses to their colleagues.

All three Ecclesall ward councillors were at the meeting. LibDem group leader Coun Shaffaq Mohammed said: “I am disappointed to learn over the weekend that the petition that was 7,000 signatures that triggered the (council) debate in Sheffield has not been mentioned.

‘Work with you’

“If you’re going to tell us the story, then tell us the whole story, but the views of people have not been reflected in the websites and documentation.”

“It’s not often that Ecclesall gets council funding. We want to work with you as businesses to get together to put a bid in to do whatever you want to do and work with officers.”

He said the ward councillors would speak to council officers leading the red lines project to ensure that all the objections which have been made were properly represented.

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