Proposed closure of Leppings Lane on match days - have your say -

Umeeksk · 14-08-2009, 12:43

Hi all,

Council officers have come to me with a proposal to close Leppings Lane to cars on match days.

The proposal is for an experimental order closing Leppings Lane to traffic before, during and after Sheffield Wednesday home games.

The idea is to make it safer for fans on foot and to make it easier to police the matches.

I posted this on Facebook and on my blog yesterday and so far the reaction has not been favourable - but I want to know what you guys on here think.

Personally as a local resident I would find it a real pain - but maybe people who walk this way when they come to matches would think different?

Let me know what you think!

UPDATE: I have just looked at the plans and noticed that this also involves closing Catch Bar Lane between Middlewood Road and Parkside Road. This seems very unwise to me!

UPDATE 2: Anyone wishing to object to these proposals can do so by writing to:

Les Sturch, Director of Development Services, 2-10 Carbrook Hall Road, Sheffield S9 2DB

or e-mailing les.sturch@sheffield.gov.uk.

hsb98c · 14-08-2009, 12:49

I always thought closing the road just as the match finished worked, meaning the large number of supporters who come out that way were safe. It must be closed for 15-30 minutes (depending on the size of the crowd) and it makes sense.

However, closing it before and during does seem a little excessive.

iansheff · 14-08-2009, 12:52

Well it does not affect me but what about all the people who live in the side roads off Leppings Lane who have cars? They are effectively going to be either confined to the street or if they are out excluded from driving home.

Goon · 14-08-2009, 12:53

I can understand your concern and appreciate you finding it a real pain but I'm sure you are aware of the benefit to the local economy that the football supporters bring in.

Have the council offered a viable alternative for through traffic to Leppings Lane?

When United are at home the Police quite often close Bramall Lane to traffic before and after the match. As long as people make themselves aware of match times then they can plan their journeys around this.

RazorSHarp · 14-08-2009, 12:55

The road closes itself as all the fans suddenly forget how to use the pavement !!

I think this is just an excuse so they can say when someone gets killed " it was propsed but rejected" thus satisfying any critics or subsequent claims

RazorSHarp · 14-08-2009, 12:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goon

Have the council offered a viable alternative for through traffic to Leppings Lane?

.

Yes through a bus gate at Hillsborough corner !!

It's about time another route was planned around Claywheels lane to Middlewood round around the Winn Gardens area !!!

It's not just Match days this is a problem !!!

Goon · 14-08-2009, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by RazorSHarp

Yes through a bus gate at Hillsborough corner !!

It's about time another route was planned around Claywheels lane to Middlewood round around the Winn Gardens area !!!

It's not just Match days this is a problem !!!

That's just ridiculous and demonstates how ill thought out these bus gates are.

Total Chaos · 14-08-2009, 13:02

They have always closed leppings lane on match days usually about 14:30 till 15:00ish then again 15mins before match ends or at least they used to.So i take it then that there will be a proposal as well to close bramall lane and john street then??

Would it make any difference if its closed you cant go down it,when the fans come out your at a stand still any way.

Umeeksk · 14-08-2009, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by RazorSHarp

Yes through a bus gate at Hillsborough corner !!

It's about time another route was planned around Claywheels lane to Middlewood round around the Winn Gardens area !!!

It's not just Match days this is a problem !!!

Completely agree with this idea, and it's been mooted for a while as a way to open up the Claywheels Lane area to business, as well as relieve traffic in the Middlewood Road / Catch Bar Lane / Leppings Lane area.

I know the Council have asked for funding from the Department for Transport to do this project, but I'm not sure how far we have got! In fact I will ask for an update on this today...

Total Chaos · 14-08-2009, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by iansheff

Well it does not affect me but what about all the people who live in the side roads off Leppings Lane who have cars? They are effectively going to be either confined to the street or if they are out excluded from driving home.

All the side streets are fenced off any way during match days and a copper stood at each end.

RazorSHarp · 14-08-2009, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umeeksk

Completely agree with this idea, and it's been mooted for a while as a way to open up the Claywheels Lane area to business, as well as relieve traffic in the Middlewood Road / Catch Bar Lane / Leppings Lane area.

I know the Council have asked for funding from the Department for Transport to do this project, but I'm not sure how far we have got! In fact I will ask for an update on this today...

Propose it as a toll Rd

HotPhil · 14-08-2009, 13:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by iansheff

Well it does not affect me but what about all the people who live in the side roads off Leppings Lane who have cars? They are effectively going to be either confined to the street or if they are out excluded from driving home.

There's only two cul de sacs off Leppings Lane. Vere (and parallel) roads have alternative routes. And should be well used to match day disruption by now.
I can't see formalising/extending any match day closure of Leppings Lane being a problem for anyone. Personally, unless attending the match, I never go near the stadium on match days because of all the additional cars/people/hassle.

Umeeksk · 14-08-2009, 13:36

UPDATE: I have just looked at the plans and noticed that this also involves closing Catch Bar Lane between Middlewood Road and Parkside Road. This seems very unwise to me!

UPDATE 2: Anyone wishing to object to these proposals can do so by writing to:

Les Sturch, Director of Development Services, 2-10 Carbrook Hall Road, Sheffield S9 2DB

or e-mailing les.sturch@sheffield.gov.uk.

scottf · 14-08-2009, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Total Chaos

So i take it then that there will be a proposal as well to close bramall lane and john street then??

bramall lane, cherry street and john street are both closed before and after a match with only shoreham street remaining open.

Umeeksk · 14-08-2009, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Total Chaos

They have always closed leppings lane on match days usually about 14:30 till 15:00ish then again 15mins before match ends or at least they used to.So i take it then that there will be a proposal as well to close bramall lane and john street then??

Yes - Bramall Lane, Cherry Street, John Street and Shoreham Street, all around the ground. Part of the same proposals. Perhaps that should be a separate thread though.

Paul2412 · 14-08-2009, 14:04

So they now want to close it while the match is being played as well? I can fully understand closing the road when fans are coming and going but during the match seems rather pointless.

metalman · 14-08-2009, 14:09

The long-suffering residents of Hillsborough already have to drive miles out of their way to get about ten yards across Hillsborough corner. Now presumably we will have to do so as well on Saturday afternoon if we have the misfortune to want to head towards or from Barnsley or Meadowhall. Not to mention the fact that the streets are clogged with (in many cases illegally) parked cars, and the car park in the park being shut all day on match days despite not belonging to the club and so on and so on. Just makes you wonder how much more we have to put up with for the sake of a game of football. And if they close Leppings Lane and Catchbar Lane, how long before they want to close Penistone Road as well?

metalman · 14-08-2009, 14:12

And for those who say that the football club was there before I was, maybe it's about time Sheffield Wednesday relocated to a nice new stadium somewhere in the middle of nowhere, as seems to be all the fashion these days.

Ginger Daddy · 14-08-2009, 14:13

If the car park in the park does not belong to the club:

- how can they enforce the parking charge?
- can you choose to opt out of the charge?
- how can SWFC enforce the charge as there is no signage?
- who does the money go to?

For example: on a Tuesday, there is a British Military Fitness session in the park, starting at 7pm. I dont go to the Tuesday one, but people who went on Tuesday were asked for money to park in the car park just to attend their normal class!

Goon · 14-08-2009, 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by metalman

And for those who say that the football club was there before I was, maybe it's about time Sheffield Wednesday relocated to a nice new stadium somewhere in the middle of nowhere, as seems to be all the fashion these days.

And watch the area fall into decline as a result.

Many businesses such as pubs and takeaways will find that they no longer make the profits that keep them going, this is not good for the area at all. Many away supporters like to visit the Hillsborough Stadium as it has bags of character and is a nice ground in a fine setting. Moving grounds out of their orginal settings leads to soulless stadiums which lack atmosphere and character. Part of the attraction of visiting away grounds is the experience of the setting and the chance to experience the town or city the ground is located in. This brings in an incredible amount of revenue to the host city.

Yes, the football club was there before you and contributed to building the area up into the thriving locale that exists today. You actually know this and I'm sure even if you are not a football fan you can appreciate the benefit the club brings to Hillsborough. The situation is not perfect and I have a great deal of sympathy for those inconvenieced but if the club relocated you would soon regret this.

Sheffield Wednesday sounds much better than 'Middle of Nowhere Wednesday' anyway.