Lorries off several streets in Sheffield

lorries

New £200,000 environmental weight restrictions will be introduced across several busy streets in Sheffield after overwhelming support from local residents.

The Wheel in Ecclesfield, Twentywell Lane in Bradway and Totley, Psalter Lane and Boston Street (one-way only) and Beighton Road in Woodhouse will all introduce restrictions for 7.5tonne lorries this year.

The proposed Environmental Weight Restrictions (EWRs) EWRs will address concerns regarding the impact that HGVs are having on the lives and wellbeing of local residents.

The restrictions will reduce the likelihood of danger caused by the HGVs to other traffic using the affected roads. They will also prevent damage to the roads and buildings near the roads caused by the HGVs and help other vehicles and pedestrians to use the roads better.

Access will also be maintained for HGVs which are delivering or picking up at addresses within each EWR, apart from the short section of Psalter Lane where access is not permitted.

Cllr Lewis Dagnall

Councillor Lewis Dagnall, cabinet member for environment and street scene at Sheffield City Council, said: “There is no doubt that excessive use of these roads by HGVS has been having a negative effect on the communities and residents that live nearby. We have listened – and taken action – to address this.

“These restrictions will improve quality of life and the environment for people in our city and stop lorries powering through built-up residential areas. It will also help the council and the city to fulfil its green and clean air ambitions.”

The proposed EWRs are

The Wheel (Ecclesfield) – an area-wide ban including streets where there is currently no problem so that any displacement of HGVs would be on to other more suitable roads.

Twentywell Lane (Bradway and Totley area) - this is an area-wide ban and includes streets where there is currently no problem so that any displacement of HGVs would be onto other more suitable roads.

Psalter Lane and Boston Street – these are two sections of relatively short restriction applied in one–direction only aimed at cutting the link through between Ecclesall Road and London Road. These measures have been chosen in preference to an area-wide ban so that the effect can be monitored so that it does not adversely impact on servicing within the Nether Edge area by HGVs.

Beighton Road (Woodhouse Area) – this is an area-wide ban and includes streets where there is currently no problem so that any displacement of HGVs would be onto other more suitable roads. Monitoring will take place to see what effect the exemption for driver training and testing has on the number of HGVs travelling through the area and may be partially withdrawn if the number of HGVs has not reduced significantly.

An outline business case was approved in August 2018 to complete the Detailed Design of all four EWR’s with provision for their implementation once works costs are submitted in the final business case.

The approved funding for this is £143,000 with an additional £51,000 to cover future maintenance of the signs.