New road safety action – and beaver reintroduction – on list of Sheffield spending plans

Diverse projects including new pedestrian crossings, football ground improvements and even the reintroduction of beavers to the city are set to get the go-ahead in Sheffield next week.
By Julia Armstrong, Local Democracy Reporter
Published 19th Jan 2024, 15:14 BST
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Sheffield City Council’s finance committee is being asked to approve a long list of updates to spending plans for 2023/24 at a meeting taking place next Tuesday (January 23).

They include adding 13 projects to the council’s capital programme, creating a net spending increase of £615k, and making 25 variations to projects and spending priorities, creating a net reduction of £27k. Many changes listed will make no overall changes to budgets, a report to the committee says.

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The report says that the overall aim of the changes is to improve services.

Beavers can help with natural flood reduction schemes and work is taking place to look at introducing them to the Upper Don river catchment in Sheffield. Picture: Sheffield GreensBeavers can help with natural flood reduction schemes and work is taking place to look at introducing them to the Upper Don river catchment in Sheffield. Picture: Sheffield Greens
Beavers can help with natural flood reduction schemes and work is taking place to look at introducing them to the Upper Don river catchment in Sheffield. Picture: Sheffield Greens
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One plan is to spend £79k on feasibility plans to introduce seven pedestrian crossings in the city, each one linked to one of the council’s Local Area Committees (LACs). The funding comes from the Local and Neighbourhood Transport Complementary Programme, administered by the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

The list and the LAC involved in each proposal is as follows:

  • Shay House Lane, North LAC
  • Myrtle Road, South LAC
  • Selbourne Road, South West LAC
  • Howard Road, Central LAC
  • Jenkin Road, North East LAC
  • Staniforth Road, East LAC
  • Birley Spa Lane, South East LAC.
Carver Street in Sheffield city centre is proposed to be closed on Friday and Saturday nights to reduce the number of violent incidents dealt with by police. Picture: LDRSCarver Street in Sheffield city centre is proposed to be closed on Friday and Saturday nights to reduce the number of violent incidents dealt with by police. Picture: LDRS
Carver Street in Sheffield city centre is proposed to be closed on Friday and Saturday nights to reduce the number of violent incidents dealt with by police. Picture: LDRS

Another £198K will be spent on design works for a pedestrian crossing on Osbourne Road, already agreed for the edge of the Nether Edge Active Travel Neighbourhood. The work is expected to be completed in April.

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The committee will also be asked to approve spending £107k from the City Centre Safety budget to undertake feasibility and design works for measures to allow the closure of Carver Street on Friday and Saturday evenings.

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Police have raised concerns about pedestrian crowding and vehicles on the street, off Division Street, on Friday and Saturday nights. The report says that pilot closure schemes demonstrated a drop in the number of violent incidents recorded and discouraged anti-social behaviour in the adjacent car park.

A Google Maps image of the junction of Psalter Lane and Osborne Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield where a new pedestrian crossing will help to improve road safetyA Google Maps image of the junction of Psalter Lane and Osborne Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield where a new pedestrian crossing will help to improve road safety
A Google Maps image of the junction of Psalter Lane and Osborne Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield where a new pedestrian crossing will help to improve road safety

A study on introducing beavers to Blacka Moor and the surrounding Upper Don Catchment costing £98.7K forms part of natural flood defence plans for the area. The work will be funded by funded by a Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Capital Grant and by Yorkshire Water.

Other proposals being put forward include increasing spending on the Woodbourn Road Football Hub in Darnall by £141.8K to cover increased costs on pitches and the pavilion.

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The report also updates spending plans on two major projects.

A list of tweaks to the Heart of the City 2 programme currently helping to reshape the city centre has resulted in no overall changes to the scheme’s budget.

The Stocksbridge Town Fund plans for rejuvenating the area with government funding includes spending £20m on revitalising the town centre. As previously reported, main focal points are a new three-storey building on Manchester Road, bringing together a new library, community space, classrooms for post-16 learning and managed workspaces, and a Town Square outdoor space.

Plans for a £1.1m hydrotherapy pool at Stocksbridge Leisure Centre and a Little Don Rivers Project have both been shelved, and parts of the town centre improvements have been held back while costings are being confirmed.

This scheme is being managed by the Stocksbridge Town Deal Board, with support from the city council.

Related topics:Sheffield City CouncilSheffieldPolice