Sheffield General Cemetery: Petition calls for pedestrian crossing to popular heritage park

The e-petition, launched by Philip Ward on the council website, had 119 signatures when it closed at the end of July. It calls for a pedestrian crossing near the main gates to the General Cemetery on Cemetery Road.

The petition states: “Sheffield General Cemetery is a popular inner-city destination for walking and recreation, as well as providing a pleasant access route for pedestrians and cyclists between the Sharrow area and Ecclesall Road and beyond. The recent improvements to the cemetery and expected upturn in use of its facilities will lead to an increase in footfall.

“At the moment, the speed of the vehicles on Cemetery Road presents considerable risks to those attempting to cross. Crossing the road is particularly hazardous for users of the nursery in the cemetery grounds, to older people attempting to access the bus stops and to people from the care homes in the vicinity, who might be wheelchair users.

“Cyclists too have difficulty crossing from Grange Road into the main entrance. There appears to have been a serious accident involving a pedestrian at this site in 2017.

“All these considerations suggest this is the right time to install a pedestrian crossing near the Cemetery Road entrances.”

The cemetery grounds heritage park reopened in June following a 12-month, £3.8 million restoration scheme to ensure that the park is safe for users. Changes include repairs to pathways and stairs and taking down unsafe catacombs that could not be salvaged.