Sheffield Active Travel: Controversial barriers on Springvale Road, Crookes, ditched after angry protests

Sheffield Council workmen put the structures in place yesterday as part of the Crookes and Walkley Active Travel Zone, forcing traffic to turn right from Springvale Road, onto Western Road.

Angry residents came out to berate council officials over the move, warning of safety concerns and traffic jams that it would cause. Comments included concerns traffic was being diverted from a main road onto a side road, and that cars would be forced to drive past a school.

Residents said they were angry that they had not been consulted over the scheme.

At one stage yesterday evening, bollards had to be removed when a skip lorry and a box van were unable to pass each over at the junction.

What officials described as ‘diagonal filters’ were put in place both at Springvale’s junction with Western Road and its junction with Cobden View Road. Today, ward councillors for Crookes confirmed that the council’s transport officer had agreed to take the measures down.

Coun Ruth Milson, who was on the scene with Coun Minesh Parekh when the bollards were put in place yesterday, said after the situation had been observed for a while, the decision to permanently remove the two diagonal filters had been made.

She said: “It was very clear, as Minesh and I had previously flagged up, that the road width is not sufficient to accommodate two-way passing vehicles, and the priority signage was not making any difference to drivers’ behaviour.”