Sheffield Active Travel: Anger as Sheffield Council brings in barriers on Springvale Road, Crookes

Angry residents berated Sheffield Council officials today as controversial barriers were put in place as part of a controversial ‘active travel’ scheme.
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Workmen put bollards out at the junction in Crookes, forcing traffic to turn off Springvale Road onto Western Road as part of the Crookes Active Travel scheme, as council officers and local councillors watched on.

Council workers and officials said the bollards were being put in place to assess the impact they would have on the street. Residents came onto the street to demand their removal.

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Zoe Chapman said: “It’s directing traffic from a main road, Springvale Road, and putting it onto a side road, Weston Road. It also leads to traffic jams. I’ve lived here 30 odd years but never seen traffic jams on Springvale Road, but I did when this was in place. It annoys me that they don’t take residents’ views into consideration.”

Angry residents berated Sheffield Council officials as controversial barriers were put in place as part of a controversial ‘active travel’ scheme on Springvale Road, CrookesAngry residents berated Sheffield Council officials as controversial barriers were put in place as part of a controversial ‘active travel’ scheme on Springvale Road, Crookes
Angry residents berated Sheffield Council officials as controversial barriers were put in place as part of a controversial ‘active travel’ scheme on Springvale Road, Crookes

Brett Harrison added: “I live at the top of the road there. It’s going to direct every piece of traffic that goes up there. I don’t think anyone’s thought of the fact you’ve got a blind corner at the top. Also you’ve got double parked cars so you cant get past coming the other way. It’s an insane decision.”

Cyclist and resident Caroline Redstill said: “I walk to work, I walk my children to school, I walk to the local shops. This doesn’t help anybody – it’s making people drive further around, causing more pollution. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Resident Dave Clay said: “I think it’s bonkers. It’s not wanted by the community. I know lots of people in the community, I used to be a governor at the local school, I live locally. I cycle. I know how it is. This doesn’t work. It’s not safe. All that happens is it drives cars onto the neighbouring streets. It's not solving a problem. There wasn’t a problem in the first place to solve. It’s crazy.”

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Another angry resident, Alan Story, said: “People here were not consulted. We’re the people who live on Western Road.” He added traffic would be routed past a school through the scheme.

Angry residents berated Sheffield Council officials as controversial barriers were put in place as part of a controversial ‘active travel’ scheme on Springvale Road, CrookesAngry residents berated Sheffield Council officials as controversial barriers were put in place as part of a controversial ‘active travel’ scheme on Springvale Road, Crookes
Angry residents berated Sheffield Council officials as controversial barriers were put in place as part of a controversial ‘active travel’ scheme on Springvale Road, Crookes

Ward Coun Minesh Parekh said he was pleased with the schools streets and crossings provided by the scheme, but admitted he had concerns about the measure at Springvale and Western Road. He said he wanted to see if it was safe. He said: “There’s a strong community feeling about the scheme itself, particularly on this road. I’m going to respond to that. I’ve said since the day I was elected there was insufficient consultation about the scheme.”

He said he would like to have seen something to solve double parking and cycling infrastructure.

Coun Ruth Milsom added this particular part of the scheme was contentious and it was hard for people to see exactly what was trying to be achieved.

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She said: “We've come to observe this traffic filter as it’s being put in place. If it cannot be used safely in this configuration we will quickly act and make sure the junction is made safe. There’re very mixed opinions about the whole thing. We’re here to hear people’s views and see how this works out in action.”