Sheffield city centre to become 20mph zone by end of year

The authority revealed this week that it was pushing ahead with plans announced in the summer after a positive response to a consultation.

As a result the speed limit will drop to 20mph on most city centre roads, bar a few major thoroughfares such as Arundel Gate and Derek Dooley Way.

The aim is to improve safety and therefore encourage more people to walk and cycle around the city centre.

Thirty-three people responded to a consultation, with 19 in favour of the 20mph limits. Seven were opposed and seven did not express a view either way.

The council says there has been an increase in traffic accidents over the past few months.

Cabinet member for transport and sustainability Jack Scott said: “Anyone who’s been in our city centre recently will have seen that it is growing rapidly and for the better, with cranes, new shops and new developments.

"It needs to be a place where safety and sustainable travel are actively supported and encouraged.

“I’m pleased that the consultation was received so positively. This Labour council is absolutely determined to improve road safety throughout the city and 20mph zones play a big role in this."

The zones will be marked with signs, but the council says it does not have money for traffic calming measures such as humps.

Coun Scott said the lower limit would also improve air quality.

“I am aware of concerns, not least from reading the Star letter pages, that travelling at 20mph could negatively affect air quality," he added.

"However, the evidence actually shows that at a constant lower speed a driver will use less fuel, and safer roads should mean more people taking up walking and cycling instead.

"I am absolutely committed to improving safety on our roads and taking real action to improve Sheffield’s air quality. Pleasingly, this measure should help in both of these respects in city ward”.

The 20mph restriction has already been introduced in Darnall, Gleadless Valley, Heeley and Stannington, while schemes are being considered in Firth Park and Woodhouse

Coun Moya O’Rourke was elected in the city ward in 2015 and has spoken to residents about the issue regularly.

“Since my election I made a promise to the ward that I would make our city centre roads safer and more environmentally friendly – and I have been pushing for 20 mph zones in the centre to do just that," she said.

“I’m delighted that so many residents in my ward contributed to the council’s public consultation."

The council is also considering measures to tackle congestion on the inner ring road.

The Sheffield Green Party group said they had included funding for a 20mph scheme in their budget since 2014.

Coun Rob Murphy, who also represents the city ward, said: “A city centre 20mph speed limit zone will greatly improve the safety of city centre residents, who currently face the worst road traffic accident rates in Sheffield.

"We of course understand it is necessary for some people to use cars in the city centre but this limit is needed to protect pedestrians and cyclists."

The full list of streets to be included:

Acorn St, Aldine Court, Allen St, Alma St, Andrew Lane, Angel St, Arundel Lane, Arundel St, Backfields, Bailey Lane, Bailey St, Baker’s Hill, Bakers Lane, Ball St, Balm Green, Bank St, Barker’s Pool, Beet St, Bells Square, Bethel Walk, Bishop St, Black Swan Walk, Blast Lane (part), Blonk St, Blue Boy St, Boden Lane, Bolton St, Bowden St, Bower Spring, Bowling Green St, Bridge St, Brittain St, Broad Lane Service Rd, Broad St West, Brocco Lane, Brocco St, Brook Drive, Brook Lane, Broom Green, Broomhall St, Broomspring Close, Broomspring Lane (part), Brown Lane, Brown St, Brownell St, Burgess St, Cadman Lane, Cambridge St, Campo Lane, Canning St, Carver Lane, Carver St, Castlegate, Castle Green, Castle Square, Castle St, Castlefolds, Cavendish Court, Cavendish St, Chapel Walk, Charles Lane, Charles St, Charlotte Lane, Charter Row, Charter Square, Chatham St, Church St, Clay Lane, Congress St, Convent Place, Convent Walk, Conway St, Copper St, Cornish St, Cotton Mill Row, Cotton St, Craven St, Cross Burgess St, Cross Smithfield, Cross Turner St, Cumberland St, Cupola, Daisy Walk, Devonshire Lane, Devonshire St, Division Lane, Division St, Dixon Lane, Dixon St, Doncaster St, Duke Lane, Dun Fields, Dun Lane, Dun St, Earl St, Earl Way, East Parade, Ebeneezer Place, Ebeneezer St, Edward St, Egerton Close, Egerton Lane, Egerton St, Eldon St, Ellis St, Esperanto Place, Evans St, Exchange Gateway, Exchange Place, Exchange St, Eyre Lane, Fargate, Favell Rd, Fig Tree Lane, Fitzalan Square, Fitzwilliam Gate, Fitzwilliam St, Flat St, Fornham St (part), Froggatt Lane, Furnace Hill, Furnival Gate, Furnival Rd, Furnival Square, Furnival St, Garden St, Gell St, George St, Glossop Rd (part), Green Lane, Gun Lane, Hallam Lane, Harmer Lane, Hartshead, Hartshead Square, Harvest Lane (part), Hawley St, Haymarket, Headford Gardens, Headford Grove, Headford Mews, Headford St, Hereford St, Hicks St, High St, Hodgson St, Holland St, Hollis Croft, Holly Lane, Holly St, Holy Green, Hounsfield Lane, Hounsfield Rd, Howard Lane, Howard St, Jessop St, Johnson Lane, Johnson St, Joiner St, Kelham Island, Kelham Square, Kenyon St, King St, Lady’s Bridge, Lambert St, Lancaster St, Leadmill Rd, Leadmill St, Leavy Greave, Leavy Greave Rd, Lee Croft, Leopold St, Love St, Mappin St, Market Place, Marsden Lane, Mary St, Matilda Lane, Matilda St (part), Matilda Way, Matthew St, Meadow St (part), Meetinghouse Lane, Millsands, Milton Lane, Milton St, Morpeth St, Mortimer St, Mulberry St, Neepsend Lane (part), New St, Newcastle St, Newton Lane, Norfolk Row, Norfolk St (part), North Bank, North Church St, North Quay Drive, Nursery Lane, Nursery St, Orange St, Orchard Lane, Orchard St, Paradise Lane, Paradise Square, Paradise St, Paternoster Row, Penistone Rd Service Rd, Penton St, Percy St, Pinfold St, Pinstone St, Pitsmoor Rd, Pitt Close, Pitt Lane, Pitt St, Platt St, Plum Lane, Plum St, Pond Hill, Pond St, Pool Square, Portland Lane, Portobello, Portobello Lane, Portobello St, Queen St, Queen’s Row, Radford St, Red Hill, Regent St, Regent Terrace, Rockingham Gate, Rockingham Lane, Rockingham St, Rowland St, Russell St, Scargill Croft, Scholey St, Scotland St, Sheldon Row, Shepherd St, Shude Hill, Siddall St, Sidney St, Silver St, Silver St Head, Sims St, Smithfield, Snig Hill, Snow Lane, Solly St, South Lane, South Parade, South Quay Drive, Spitalfields, Spring St, St George’s Close, St George’s Terrace, St James’s Row, St James’s St, St Paul’s Parade, St Peter’s Close, Stanley Lane, Stanley St, Steelhouse Lane, Suffolk Lane, Surrey Lane, Surrey Place, Surrey St, Swinton St, Sylvester Gardens, Sylvester St, Tenter St, The Moor, Thomas St, Townhead St, Trafalgar St, Trinity St, Trippett Lane, Tudor Square, Turner St, Union Lane, Union St, Upper Allen St, Vicar Lane, Victoria St, Waingate, Walker St, Ward St, Water St, Well Meadow Drive, Well Meadow St, Wellington St, West Bar (part), West Hill Lane, West St, West St Lane, Westfield Terrace, Wharf St, Wheeldon St, White Croft, Wicker (part), Wicker Lane, Wilkinson Lane (part), Wilkinson St (part), Willey St, Wilson St, Workhouse Lane, York St, Young St