Road changes at railway station to ease congestion

A new road layout is to be trialled outside Sheffield railway station in an attempt to reduce heavy congestion.

Sheffield City Council intends to stop private cars using the existing drop-off area by creating short term parking bays on Cross Turner Street.

It hopes the change will free up the drop-off area for taxis, helping to overcome complaints about access to the site.

The council said: "There are a series of issues of traffic congestion, conflicts between taxis and private drop off, poor air quality and severance of neighbouring communities which need to be addressed."

The temporary measures are set to come into force from mid January and will be closely monitored over the next 18 months.

In a report, officers said: "Council highways management have designed and tested a new layout which demonstrates improvements to the flow of traffic at the station and minimises the impact on the wider network.

"The proposed new layout includes the principle of removing private vehicles from the station forecourt which is private land.

"Following consultation with taxi operators, businesses and landowners this principle will be trialled through an experimental traffic regulation order. Data from the trial will be used to support and inform implementation of the final scheme."

The announcement comes after South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard recently called the current road layout "ridiculous and a mess".

He said: "When I was a kid the station worked perfectly, then they changed it around.

"They improved the station massively but the way you come around that corner to the station is ridiculous.

"It's just a mess, so we have to get that sorted."

The mayor has also expressed his frustration that a derelict site next to the station, which is owned by Homes England, remains empty.

The council said a "very ambitious" programme was planned in 2020 but those plans had not progressed.

A new proposal, including up to 900 new homes and 165,000 sq ft of commercial space, has since been put forward.

The report adds: "Whilst the improvements to the station buildings and new public realm, completed in 2002, still provide a very high-quality arrival point, there remain several undeveloped plots in the immediate vicinity."

The council's transport committee will consider the report at a meeting on 17 December.

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