Sheffield Green Party Councillors are backing local residents’ calls for safer roads, keeping the closure of a number of roads to through motor traffic. The roads remain open to people who walk, cycle or use a wheelchair or pram.
The Active Travel Neighbourhoods in Nether Edge and Walkley/Crookes were established using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order in 2022, stopping through-traffic on a number of roads, preventing rat-running and making them safer for people on foot and on bike.
“I have had an overwhelming number of residents contact me asking me to support making both of these Active Travel Neighbourhood schemes permanent. They’ve told me that the improvements have been a huge success and that people want to keep them. Children feel safer to play in the streets, and neighbourhoods are more pleasant and liveable. I was particularly impressed when primary school children from Nether Edge contacted me to express their appreciation of being able to walk safely to school and to Scouts. Any reopening of these roads would be met with utter dismay.
Cllr Maroof Raouf shows the road is open
“If we are serious about reducing road collisions, addressing climate change and health problems caused by lack of physical activity, then it is schemes like this that really make a difference. We have to put communities before cars and back safer streets for local people.
“I have studied the objections to the changes and the evidence shows that there has not been a measurable rise in traffic on adjacent streets. There are people who want to drive their cars where they like, with no restrictions, but we have a responsibility to the wider community and to residents who want to live in a safer, calmer, quieter and more pleasant environment. The Council took a small but important step by installing these filters and they have been a success. It would be irresponsible to go backwards.”
Today, 14th September 2018, is an exciting day for Kelham Island as the neighbourhood in City Ward hosts a judges’ visit for a prestigious award.
Kelham Island is just one of three places in the country to be shortlisted in the Academy of Urbanism’s 2019 awards for a “Great Neighbourhood”
The Academy of Urbanism “brings together both the current and next generation of urban leaders, thinkers and practitioners.” Famous Barnsley poet, Ian MacMillan, is its official poet-in-residence and we hope he will be writing something for the Kelham Neighbourhood.
Kelham Island is up against Ancoats in Manchester and Hackney Wick in London. Both those areas have seen regeneration but have controversially priced out the original residents. Kelham Island, by contrast, has evolved a new community in an area where there was no housing at all.
The Kelham community has been getting together to prepare for the visit. An organising group has been planning the route and sounding out local businesses to tell the judges what they do. Local residents have been cleaning up the streets and been rewarded with free food and drink from places like Kelham Wine Bar, Craft & Dough and The Riverside. People really do care and have pride in the place they live in.
