Resident group unhappy with proposed traffic changes

PROPOSALS have been made to close Bridge Hill to cars in Oughtibridge, using a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).

There is an ongoing injury accident problem involving people using motorcycles and bicycles on Orchard Street being hit by people driving out of Bridge Hill into Station Lane without giving way.

Sheffield City Council held an informal consultation with Oughtibridge residents in March 2019 about our proposal to close Bridge Hill to solve this problem.

Susie Pryor, Senior Transport Planner, said: “Since then we have looked at the suggestions residents and the Oughtibridge Road Safety Action Group made, considered parking and how vehicles could access Bridge Hill to make deliveries. In consultation with Local Councillors and the Cabinet Member for Transport we concluded that the only practical way to reduce accidents at the junction is to close Bridge Hill.

“In summary we are now proposing to close Bridge Hill to motor vehicles at its junction with Langsett Road North, people on bicycles and walking would be able to go through the closure, put one disabled badge holder parking space on Langsett Road South outside the shops and introduce time restricted parking, double/single yellow lines and prohibition of footway parking on Bridge Hill and double yellow lines on parts of Langsett Road North.

“We are also proposing to move the 30mph speed limit on the north side of Oughtibridge 95m further back further towards Stocksbridge.”

But a campaign group set up to fight for better road safety in Oughtibridge has accused Sheffield City Council of ignoring the views of local residents as it pushes plans to re-organise traffic flow in the village.

The Oughtibridge Road Safety Action Group (ORSAG) claims officers and local councillors have decided not to take on board the results of two consultations in the village – one of them done by Sheffield CC itself – both of which produced a firm thumbs-down to the council’s traffic plan, which would see the closure of Bridge Hill to through traffic but leave the bottom of Bridge Hill open to two-way traffic. ORSAG believes this is not properly addressing the issue of accidents at the scene.

The council admits that earlier this year it asked local residents for their views on what it could do to make the roads in Oughtibridge safer but says this was “informal”. It now states that its plan has been given the go-ahead not following consultation with residents and their action group but with local councillors and the city council’s cabinet member for transport, Cllr Bob Johnson.

Now ORSAG is appealing to Cllr Johnson to stand by what he said when plans for a TRO in his own ward of Hillsborough were revealed. He then claimed the views of residents were his top priority, saying: “I will not sign-off a traffic regulation order against the wishes of residents.” ORSAG say they want to hold him to this.

As part of the legal process associated with a TRO you are invited to make comment or object to this proposal. These must be submitted in writing, details given below, with a deadline for responses of December 14 2019.

Any requests for clarification or further information should also be made in by e-mailing traffic.regs@sheffield.gov.uk or writing to Tom Finnegan-Smith, Head of Strategic Transport, Sustainability and Infrastructure, City Growth Department, Howden House, 1 Union Street, Sheffield, S1 2SH.