Sheffield Greens have spoken of their disappointment at plans to spend £4.5m of public money on a short-term road-widening scheme instead of listening to residents’ and cyclists’ concerns about pollution and road safety.

Green Party campaigners at Derek Dooley Way. The photo shows (l-r) Paul Turpin, Green Party co-leader Sian Berry, James Martin, Cllr Martin Phipps, Ruth Mersereau. Don Valley Railway campaigner, Chris Bell, is also shown.

In the Green Party’s consultation response (left out of the report), Cllr Martin Phipps called for a hold on the proposal to look at long-term solutions to reduce congestion and air pollution, saying,

“People urgently need better public transport and safer cycling and walking options so they can choose to leave their cars at home. This would reduce congestion for all road users while improving dangerous air pollution and road safety.”

Responding to the current plans, Emily Brooke-Davies, of Sheffield Green Party, said,

“The inner ring road and junction scheme is a costly plan, that will serve to increase traffic and air pollution through Kelham Island without bringing any noticeable benefits.

“As someone who walks through this area, I’m familiar with how difficult it is to cross here and, having looked at the plans, I hold no hope for it being any easier.

“I feel the money spent on this could be better spent to make it easier to use other forms of transport.”

Campaigner Ruth Mersereau, added,

“The reaction from both Kelham Island Community Association and from CycleSheffield was to oppose the widening, as it will increase traffic and air pollution and just make it much harder to cross the road, whilst bringing no benefits to residents there.

Widening the inner ring road is the wrong answer. It will just lead to more traffic, more air pollution and more congestion.”

Cllr Douglas Johnson said,

“This is a short-term and short-sighted scheme and demonstrates everything that is wrong about Sheffield’s transport strategy. If this scheme is all about the 5,000 new jobs to be created as the West Bar area develops, it is a backward look to the past where everyone is expecting to drive to work and park outside their office.

It is very disappointing to be told there is no business case for cycling and walking infrastructure. What a dismal vision of the future!

No-one can seriously believe that adding an extra lane of cars is going to improve air quality.”

Notes

Sheffield Green Party’s original comment on the consultation is at: https://sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk/2017/11/29/inner-ring-road-plans-will-worsen-air-pollution/

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