'A death sentence to my Sheffield business' - more than 1,000 people respond to all-day bus plans for Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road

Under the Sheffield Council plans, bus lanes could operate from 7am to 7pm on Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road, with all other vehicles banned from stopping, waiting or loading.

The proposals aim to tackle climate change and improve the health of Sheffielders by encouraging the use of active travel and public transport.

Residents and shoppers on Ecclesall Road spoke to the Sheffield Telegraph to give their opinion on the plans.

Shelley Cockayne, from Sharrow Vale, said: “I have been absolutely slating the plan, but on the whole it is a good thing. “The bigger thing is that by 2030 we will have green cars but there are still going to be people arguing over parking spaces, we are still going to have seven hills.

"Long gone are the days of local shops existing from local trade. A lot of people come from all around and they need somewhere to park.

"I don’t want journey times improved, I want reliability. My main concern is that it’s a waste of time and money. The council should be looking at the bigger picture - it’s not about bus lanes it’s about the whole transport system.

"There is no pragmatism, no vision in terms of anything except for active travel, but not everyone can do active travel.”

Kathleen Cox, from Whirlow, said: “First they should improve the bus service - make them frequent and reliable. To force people onto buses that don’t work is no good.

“I would use the buses if they were reliable. I have a bus pass but I scarcely use it.”

Steve Coughlan, from Fulwood, added: “I would rather use my car but why not extend the bus lane if it keeps traffic down. The issue is if the public transport is good enough.

“Post-Covid people are still wary of using public transport. It will inconvenience people with cars - but we have all become a bit lazy and use cars too much.”

Josephine Bown, from Lodge Moor, said: “I would miss the lack of a parking space but I would still come in - I might cycle instead. We need more buses and it’s important to make them more reliable. Buses have to have a priority.”

The consultation, which is live online until December 16, has already attracted over 1,100 responses, as Sheffielders have shared their thoughts on what the plans would mean for them.

One commenter said: “At a time when the council should be doing everything they can to support local independent shops they seem to like making things worse! This would be a death sentence to my business on Ecclesall Road along with many other peoples.”

Another said: “It makes me very fearful for the future of our business", whilst a third said: “I think that you are trying to kill shopping on these roads like you have done in the centre of town.”

Some residents had a more positive view of the proposals. One said: “Parking on double yellow lines is particularly bad at the junction of Abbeydale Road and Chippinghouse Road and better enforcement is required.”

Another said: “Great job. A lot of careful thought has gone into this.”

To take part in the consultation visit

https://connectingsheffield.commonplace.is/schemes/proposals/abbeydale-road-and-ecclesall-road/details