Save The Sheaf Valley Cycle Route!
CycleSheffield is campaigning to save the Sheaf Valley Cycle Route, which is being degraded through poor planning and lack of consideration. The route runs from Granville Square to Archer Rd (and then you can cycle on beyond through Millhouses Park towards Dore). Many cyclists use it and it links Heeley and Meersbrook (which have the greatest number of people cycling to work in Sheffield) to the city centre.
The Sheaf Valley cycle route runs from Granville Square, Sheffield to Archer Rd, offering an alternative to the congested main roads in the area. There are also links to the St Mary’s Gate area, to Broadfield and Nether Edge, and to Norton via Meersbrook Park.
The route has many good qualities, including:
Simon Geller, CycleSheffield’s campaign manager, said, “A food outlet has opened in Heeley Retail Park, which we understand was not in the original planning permission for this development and which competes with local cafes, and the cycle path is now obstructed by tables and chairs, with the ramp that was in place for cyclists now replaced by steps. It is not clear whether a variation in the planning permission was applied for or even whether Sheffield City Council was even aware that this development had taken place. We understand that the original planning permission for Virgin Active did not have the foresight to stipulate that the service gate should not be used for customer access so this means Saxon Rd will become even more of a rat run”
CycleSheffield has also engaged with Lowfield School and the U-Mix leisure centre who both now try to ensure that the cycle path on the Asline Rd section of the route is not used as a car park by parents dropping their kids off at school or by people using the facilities at U-Mix. In addition the connecting link on the path on Glover Rd is often blocked by drivers parking on double yellow lines because they need to get to the school or the mosque on Wolseley Rd. And to add insult to injury South Yorkshire Police and SUFC are content to use the Asline Rd cycle path as a coach park for away fans during matches at Bramall Lane because that’s what they have done for at least 50 years.
“ Lowfield School and U-Mix have worked with us to keep the path clear”, said the Chair of CycleSheffield, Mick Nott, ” but we believe that U-Mix was completed without the number of car parking spaces required in the original planning permission and this has put a great deal of stress into the situation. The mosque has responded by asking drivers not to block the cycle path. We have talked with the Council, councillors, the enterprises next to the path, and SUFC. SYP haven’t got back to us at all. We are not surprised by this as police officers regularly parked their vans on the Castle St cycle path causing an obstruction until senior officers instructed them to stop. SYP have told SUFC they were talking the Council about this. We have asked in the Council but nobody knows who they have talked to.
The result of all this is we have a situation where all the money from our council taxes and business rates spent on labour and materials putting this useful route in is being wasted because the Council is not getting things right in planning and planning is not talking to highways, and others who should know better have no regard for cycle facilities. Everybody thinks somebody should do something about it but nobody does. What is needed is strong political leadership from councillors and MPs to knock some heads together and ensure that the welcome commitments made on paper to cycling by the Council are put into real action – and good investments already made are not allowed to deteriorate!”
A cyclist has to wheel her bike through the tables at Costa
Campaign Update 25th September 2013:
Virgin Active are refusing to close their rear gates.
Campaign Update 15th October 2013:
Campaign Update 15th November 2013
Following a full and frank exchange of views, the rear gates have been locked every time we’ve been past for a couple of weeks.
Campaign Update 1st December
A planning application has been put in by Costa for a cycle route to replace the current bodge.
Campaign update October 2014: Costa have now put in a new ramp for the cycle route. However, the kerb still needs to be dropped at the Windsor Rd end.
Campaign update November 2014: South Yorkshire Police have changed the parking arrangements for coaches on United match days so they are no longer blocking the Asline Rd cycle path.