Road changes would be 'massive blow', traders say

Hundreds of residents and traders have signed a petition against plans by Sheffield City Council to make major road changes in a busy neighbourhood.

The council is consulting on proposals which it says will improve bus and tram journey times and reliability in Hillsborough and encourage people to use public transport.

Proposals include a new bus and tram gate on Langsett Road and a new bus lane along Middlewood Road. There are also plans to extend the operating hours of the existing bus and tram gate at Hillsborough Corner from 07:00 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday.

However, local firms warned it "threatens the livelihoods of countless local businesses".

The petition, which has more than 750 signatures, was started by local pet shop owner Rebecca Oxley.

"Like many other businesses in our area, we are facing difficult days ahead due to the proposed scheme which will transform major roads into buses and trams only zones," she said.

"This drastic change threatens the livelihoods of countless local businesses.

"Many of our customers rely on us for animal food and supplies that simply cannot be transported by bus or tram."

She continued: "Shutting down road access would cut off our supply chain and make it nearly impossible for our customers to transport bulky and heavy items like animal feed.

"Businesses such as local takeaways, salons, dog groomers, pubs, and countless shops are in a similar predicament. Our regular customers rely on the convenience that cars provide.

"How will local businesses survive if our access to customers and suppliers is severely restricted?"

Oxley said she understood the need for efficient public transport, but said shared-use lanes and improving parking accessibility should be considered instead.

"The council needs to engage deeply with business owners, residents and commuters to understand the real-world implications and find a balanced approach that doesn't jeopardize our community's economic stability," she concluded.

Scott Gilberthorpe, of Eve's Fruit Store, said the changes would be a "massive blow to local independent shops".

He said: "If people cannot easily drive to, park near, or navigate our high street, they will simply give up and take their business to the massive out-of-town supermarkets instead.

"We love serving Hillsborough, but scheme after scheme making driving harder actively hurts high-street trade."

The local authority is holding a public drop-in event on Saturday from 11:30 to 15:30 BST on Penistone Road at Courtside at Hillsborough.

There is also a drop-in event for businesses on 15 October from 08:30 to 10:00 at the same venue.

The council said it would review all feedback once its consultation ended and consider any changes to the proposals.

The final design will be reviewed by the council before any future construction programme is developed, it added.

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