Kelham Island: Parking scheme to reduce traffic and pollution stalls

The area was named the Best Neighbourhood in the UK for its bars, restaurants, cafes and shops but parking has been a problem for years.

Commuters have been blamed for leaving their cars there all day long which means residents and visitors struggle to find a space.

A controlled parking zone was due to come into force in March to manage congestion and reduce the amount of time drivers spend searching for spaces - which in turn would cut down on pollution.

But the council now says the £624,000 scheme won’t happen for several more months.

In a report, officers say: “In October 2019, Cabinet approved a scheme to design and introduce a controlled parking zone scheme in the Kelham and Neepsend areas, funded from Local Transport Plan, with an estimated completion date of March 2020.

“The project delivery is currently behind schedule due to the need to focus resources on the Transforming City projects which have time limited funds.

“As a result, the bulk of the project will now be delivered in 2020/21.”

Meanwhile, a scheme to revamp one of Sheffield’s busiest roads has also been delayed.

A £4.8m project was due to improve Broadfield Road junction and widen the road on the A61 corridor to provide an extra lane for traffic along Broadfield Road and London Road.

It would help relieve congestion and improve journey times, especially for motorists driving into the city centre during the morning rush hour.

The new layout should have been in place by this March but won’t happen now until 2021 at the earliest.

In a report, officers say: “The project has experienced delays due to requiring additional feasibility work and prolonged negotiations to acquire the additional land required to facilitate the road widening, in order to avoid a compulsory purchase order.

“This has led to increased costs and slippage in the scheme. In addition a decision has been made to change the third carriageway from a general use lane to a bus only lane.”