20mph speed limit to become permanent in these five Sheffield suburbs despite objections from residents

Sheffield City Council (SCC) has announced that its The Transport, Regeneration and Climate Change Policy Committee have agreed for another round of advisory 20 miles per hour (mph) speed limits to be brought in.

The 20mph speed limit will now be ‘permanently’ introduced in: Highfield; Deerlands; Batemoor; Waterthorpe and Norton Lees, despite formal objections from residents living in all five areas during a consultation period between July and August this year. According to papers that went before the Committee, SCC received four formal objections concerning the limit being introduced in Highfield; nine concerning Deerlands; three relating to Batemoor; 10 for Waterthorpe and four formal objections concerning the limit being introduced in Norton Lees.

The objections have only been included in full in the document relating to the limit being introduced in the Deerlands area.

One such objection reads: “My reason for objecting to this is that there are a lot of illegal/inconsiderate drivers in the area who don't currently take any notice of the 30mph speed limit, so reducing this isn't going to have any effect on these drivers. I understand that this is the cheapest way of trying to stop speeding but different measures are needed to try to stop these drivers. All this reduction is going to do is catch out the usually careful drivers who take their eye off their speed or have a momentary lack of concentration.”

Another resident said: “I believe these plans would be a waste of council money which could be much better spent of improving the road surfaces around the area instead, the state of the roads in the proposed area are disgraceful and they should be focused on first.”

The speed limit will be introduced as part of the long-term Sheffield 20mph Speed Limit Strategy announced in 2012, which seeks to to establish 20mph as the maximum appropriate speed in residential areas of Sheffield.

A SCC spokseperson said: “By reducing the speed of traffic in residential areas it is hoped in the long term it will reduce the number and severity of collisions, encourage sustainable modes of travel and contribute towards the creation of more pleasant and safe environments for the people of Sheffield to live in.”

Councillor Julie Grocutt, Co-Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Change Policy Committee added: “It is great to see the next round of residential areas in the Speed Limit Strategy have been given the green light. The approval of today’s 20mph speed limits mean more communities in Sheffield will benefit from being able to feel safe getting out and about in their local area, seeing family and friends, getting to and from work and school and enjoying leisure time outdoors.

“By shifting our driving habits and slowing down to 20mph we can reduce the impact of noise, air pollution and traffic on our neighbourhoods. These decisions passed today will help Sheffield become a healthier, safer and more sustainable place to live and work.”

This comes after the 20mph advisory limit was introduced in several areas across the city including: Burncross; Beighton; Manor Park and Handsworth.