Skew Hill Lane in Grenoside has raised multiple complaints for allowing cars to travel at 60mph on a single-carriageway with no footpaths to protect pedestrians .
The road has been a persistent issue for the locals, being brought up in the North Area Local Committee Meeting of Sheffield City Council held on 27th June 2023 where requests for installing a pavement or lowering the speed limit were made.
Reporting on the present situation of the road, Councillor Alan Hooper, Chair of the North Local Area Committee, said: “We are no further on.”
The area of concern is a section of unrestricted road just under 500 metres that goes past the Grenoside Crematorium, where cars may travel at the National Speed Limit of 60mph, and has been raising concerns since 1998.
Councillor Mike Levery, Deputy Chair of the Finance Committee, said: “We have installed advisory signs of pedestrians on the road on Skew Hill Lane as it isn’t possible to make a footway on either side of the road.”
Links from the road to the motorway are why worries about speeding accidents have been raised, though no serious accidents have taken place on the road at present.
Amey, the contracted developer for Sheffield’s roads under the Streets Ahead contract, responded to past requests at the June 2023 meeting, and said: “The limitations on our resources mean that we have to assess and prioritise locations for measures according to certain criteria.”
In order for pavements to be installed, the council would need to pay for it as a separate contract, which would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
When asked about the inaction of Amey and local authorities, Councillor Hooper said: “A lot of it is driven by accidents and statistics.”
A few years ago, increased accidents on the A61, which links Sheffield City Centre to the North, encouraged authorities to install speed cameras as a safety measure.
While essential repairs on the 19th November 2023 meant the road was closed for three days, there are still no safety measures placed upon the drivers to prevent speeding.
To all drivers making use of the road, Councillor Hooper said: “Drive with care and caution, and be aware of pedestrians.”
