Key achievements in transport 2024-25
What we’ve done and why we’ve done it
Cllrs Alexi Dimond and Ruth Mersereau, Green Party members on the Council’s Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, detail the action they have taken to promote sustainable transport policies in the last Council year.
Our transport focus has been to make Sheffield a safer, fairer, cleaner, more pleasant and easier place to get around, prioritising those who are currently most at risk and most disadvantaged by the status quo. We have also been committed to prioritising the least polluting transport forms.
Some things that we’ve initiated and helped to get through in the last Council year:
Our Pedestrian Friendly City motion was passed in full at the November Council meeting – we’ve succeeded in getting the asks from this incorporated into the city’s new Walking Wheeling, Cycling Investment Plan. The WWCIP sets out the Council’s ambition to develop high quality city-wide networks for people walking, wheeling and cycling and will be used to inform programme setting at a regional and local level.
20mph zones – we approved more 20 mph zones in the city, including Greenland, Brincliffe and Walkley, and managed to get some of these extended beyond their original remit in order to include busier/faster roads. Why? Because busier roads where people walk, wheel and cycle mixing with fast moving traffic are those where there are most likely to be collisions resulting in serious injury or death. 20 mph zones are also quieter and less polluted, making it more likely that people will mix/connect, making for more pleasant neighbourhoods.
Making permanent the Arundel Gate bus gate – preventing Northbound private vehicles from “rat running” was key to reducing air pollution, improving bus journey times and reducing danger of serious injuries and deaths. The new scheme will also include improvements to bus stops and additional planting.
Set up a Parking Task and Finish Group – Dangerous obstructive parking is endemic on Sheffield’s roads, making it difficult/impossible/dangerous for some people walking/wheeling/cycling to get around safely. We successfully set up a cross committee task force aiming to better enforce selfish/dangerous/obstructive parking.
City Centre Traffic Regulation – We’ve approved the introduction of new measures that will make the city centre calmer, safer, cleaner, quieter and easier to get around. This includes removing except for blue badge parking and delivery parking on Surrey Street.
Approved the phasing out of “Green” Parking permits – Free parking for electric vehicles in the City Centre is unjustifiable when there are triple the number of Green permit holders than Council-owned parking spaces. Phasing out Green parking permits should mean more spaces for blue badge holders. Greens have been pushing for this change for several years in our Budget amendments.
Approved measures to progress the “Connecting Sheffield” Attercliffe to City Centre scheme – which aims to improve access to Darnall/city centre with the implementation of high quality active travel infrastructure and bus priority measures.
Agreed a new Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Investment Plan from 2025 to 2045 which sets out a long-term 20-year vision, and a short to medium-term investment programme for an inclusive, accessible and healthy city where people are empowered to walk, wheel and cycle safely.
Approved funding to purchase electric buses – Clean Air Funding will go towards a local Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) scheme which, along with a £2.6m contribution from our Clean Air Investment Fund, will create a c.£11.5m fund to accelerate the transition to electric buses in Sheffield.
Green Achievements 2024
As part of the co-operative agreement, our Green councillors put Sheffield City Council on a pathway to Net Zero by 2030. But that was only the start…
Here’s a snapshot of our achievements Green Achievements 2024.
Looking further back
Improving our Environment
- Our councillors entered into the first cross-party administration in Sheffield and are changing the culture of the Council. All major council decisions now have to consider the climate crisis. With Greens in the Executive, the Council has introduced a 10-point plan for Climate Action, covering all organisations in the city and looking at jobs, housing, waste, energy, food and more.
- Green action has meant property developers and businesses applying for additional recovery grants will have to say how they will address the climate crisis. This will mean businesses across the city taking practical measures, from reduction in plastics to sustainable urban drainage to increased renewable energy use.
- Green Councillors succeeded in getting the council to declare a Nature Emergency; this includes reducing the use of the harmful weed-killer glyphosate, with the Council now running trials to go Glyphosate-free.
Making Sheffield a Fair city
- Greens have made the Council take action on the cost of living crisis, with our councillors fighting to protect services to the most vulnerable. We also initiated a green Jobs and Skills strategy focussed on retrofitting home insulation, and got the council to investigate the “energiesprong” approach, aiming to make large numbers of homes warm, healthy and affordable.
- Greens are pushing for new ideas to address the Council’s social care crisis, such as social care co-operatives.
- Green Councillors have supported residents affected by unsafe cladding on tower blocks; supported refugees; spoke up for stronger migrant rights; worked to make public spaces safe for everyone; improved security for council tenants; stood alongside striking Just Eat couriers, University lecturers, and NHS staff for better pay and conditions.
Keeping Sheffield Moving
- Our Green councillors have got the go-ahead for a Clean Air Zone and unlocked millions of pounds in government grants for taxi-drivers and small businesses. This will make the city cleaner and healthier.
- Green councillors kept the city centre around Pinstone St safe for people to walk and cycle. The street remains pedestrianised and will be transformed in the future. Green councillors also won agreements for a FreeBee city centre shuttle bus and a pavement parking ban for the city centre, making getting about easier for everyone.
- Greens have worked hard to get Active Travel cycling and walking improvements in place across Sheffield, linking up the city. We’re also actively supporting the Upper Don Trail which will offer a safe route to the city centre from Walkley, Hillsborough and beyond.
Listening to every resident
- Greens backed the independent “It’s Our City!” campaign that called for the end to the ‘Strong Leader’ way of running the council. Green councillors have been pushing for more openness in the new ‘modern committee’ system to involve ordinary people more.
- Green Councillors secured an independent inquiry into the Sheffield street trees felling scandal. Many Green councillors played a role in the protests. This inquiry will help achieve “truth and reconciliation”.
- Our Green councillors have close links with voluntary groups and charities and have been pushing to make sure these groups are involved more in Council decisions and services. Our Green councillors also work hard for residents on everyday issues, actively making the Council work better.
Join us in working for justice, equality and protection of the natural resources that sustain us, to transform Sheffield into a fairer, greener place to live and work.