Attercliffe business welcomes bike lane and double reds for 'sorting out parking'
“The car parks in Attercliffe are free - where else in Sheffield can you get free parking?”
A Sheffield shop has welcome a controversial new bike lane because it will “sort out the unsafe parking.”
Colin Perkins, shop floor manager at Accelerate UK running store on Attercliffe Road, said they welcomed the feature, which is under construction in Attercliffe.
He said the area had suffered from unsafe parking “for years” due to drivers parking on double yellows, and a lack of enforcement.
The development had highlighted the number of free car parks in the area, which are a rare feature in Sheffield, he said.
And the bike lane would be well used, particularly as off-road alternatives were affected by closures, including the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal towpath and the Five Weirs Walk by the River Don.
It comes after local businesses claimed the new infrastructure is harming trade.
Pauline Crawley is closing Direct Shop and Sew, on Attercliffe Road, after 44 years. She said she had brought forward her retirement due to construction of the cycle route affecting parking for customers.
But Mr Perkins said complaints risked deterring visitors who believed Attercliffe was “shut.”
He said: “The road’s open, everything is nice and accessible and there’s loads of free parking within a minute of all the shops.
“It should be a positive for Attercliffe. The bike lane makes it more accessible and the red lines should sort out the parking.
“People regularly use the pavement to park and have done for years. It’s not always safe to walk down the pavement.
“It’s a myth that there are no cyclists in Attercliffe. There are a lot going to work, a lot coming to our shop and a lot of staff going to the Olympic Legacy Park.
“The canal towpath is currently shut, and it’s not an alternative for everyone on safety grounds.
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“And the Five Weirs Walk has had a closed section for seven years with a diversion on to roads near works with a lot of lorries and lorry parking.
“The car parks in Attercliffe are free - where else in Sheffield can you get free parking?”
In a Facebook video Mr Perkins listed four free car parks near the shop.
Sheffield City Council is constructing a segregated two-mile route bike lane from the city centre to the Arena as part of a £23m scheme announced in 2024.
More than a mile of double red lines through Attercliffe will ban parking, loading and waiting 24-hours a day, backed by a fine.
The aim is to prevent the new bike lane from being blocked by cars, and speed up buses.
Some businesses, led by Attercliffe Action Group, say the work - including making Attercliffe Road one-way temporarily - is harming trade. And the cycle lane and double reds will permanently affect access.