Jump to content

Planner1

Members
  • Content Count

    11,052
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Posts posted by Planner1


  1. 6 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

    Neighbourhoods:- Every neighbourhood should have a shopping precinct within a reasonable walking distance. Community hubs and youth centres would be good, and space for knit and natter groups, darts clubs etc. Only approve housing developments that will make getting on the property ladder affordable for the next generation. Use bollards to stop cars driving up on pavements, to make them clear for pedestrians to use at all times.

     

    Climate:- Climate change is a con. We should stop wasting our time and resources on it.

     

    Housing:- Work with contractors to create affordable houses for the next generation. Work with bus operators to ensure all estates both private and council have a bus service within reasonable distance.

     

    Employment:- Work with big employers such as the new Radisson hotel to go to colleges and reach out to students face to face and offer advice on how to sit interviews in their chosen career path. 

     

    Green Spaces:- Stop approving more and more "luxury apartment" developments and stop leasing Hillsborough Park to a private music festival company to make a quick buck. Public spaces should remain public.

     

    Development:- Be careful about signing off tower block complexes. Replace the demolished flats on Park Grange with new council houses, built to a high standard.

     

    Transport:- Stop with this active travel nonsense. Introduce more green man pedestrian crossings. Ensure the pavements are protected from invasion of cars and bicycles. Utilise existing interchanges as transport hubs. For example, incentivise the bus operators to use places like Manor Top Interchange and publicise the possible destinations from said interchange e.g. Meadowhall, Manor Park Centre, Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Ensure that the timetables that the bus companies are paying you to print are being printed and handed out to customers. Ensure that every bus stop has a timetable displayed. 

    It’s well and good giving your opinions, but the time to do that was during the extensive consultations on the Local Plan.

     

    Also you should perhaps think about what you are wanting and firstly identify who is responsible for it and whether it’s included in the plan you are talking about. 

     

    You clearly don’t understand the difference between Sheffield Council and the MCA, although it’s been explained numerous times. 
     

    Sheffield council is not responsible for printing bus timetables, or transport interchanges and bus stops. 
     

    Sheffield council do not have the powers to enforce on pavement parking, like myself and others have told you numerous times. 
     

    You say stop this active travel “nonsense” then ask for more controlled crossings, which is of course part of that “nonsense”. 
     

    Having events in parks is not part of a strategic spatial plan. 
     

    Neither is private sector organisations giving careers advice. 
     

     


  2. 24 minutes ago, Baron99 said:

     Right, get some signs up at the top & bottom of The Moor, (SCC love a good sign), 'No bicycles permitted, cyclists must dismount (unless you're 5 or under). 

     

    The enforcement could be carried out by those City Ambassadors I see aimlessly walking about on The Moor or a few PCSO' s.  It'd only take a few dozen fines for it to register with errant cyclists. 

     

    The most dangerous these days are those guys on the food delivery electric bikes travelling even up The Moor at excessive speed. 

    Enforcement against cycling on the footway has to be done by the Police


  3. 8 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

    They need to get the powers. They got the CAZ powers. What's stopping them going to The High Court and getting powers to issue penalties for pavement parking? London and the whole of Scotland have done it.

    The government have to put legislation in place to enable those powers for local authorities outside London.

     

    The local authorities have been lobbying for this for many years. The government have talked about it, but have shown no inclination to actually do it.

     

    The local authorities can’t go to the high court and force them to.

     

    Local authorities didn’t seek CAZ powers, the government put the legislation in place and forced local authorities to implement CAZ’s.


  4. 1 hour ago, Hecate said:

    Isn't the place a bit hilly, and the roads a bit busy/crap, for cycling for your average middle-aged, lardy Sheffielder (disclaimer: other equally unfit body types are available)?  Free-wheeling down City Road and Granville, perhaps, at a push; peddling back up, not so much.

     

    Great for students and other centre-dwellers zipping around the city centre between lectures or nipping to the local shops.  Bob and Janet from Manor Top off down town for a wander around the Peace Gardens though?  Can't see it.

    Bikes have gears you know.  Anyone with a moderate level of fitness can get around with little problem.

     

    With an electric bike even the steepest hill is no problem.

     

    It won't be for everyone, but many trips made in cars are very short and could easily be done on foot or by bike.


  5. 24 minutes ago, SheffieldForum said:

    I just think if you read back some comments on this thread and others you'd think cycling was a blight on the city making it a no-go area for pedestrians, but it absolutely isn't from my personal and recent experiences.

    I’d agree with that. Some in here appear overly dramatic.

     

    I used to walk into and out of the city centre every day when I worked at SCC. I’d pass people sleeping in the subway and begging. They asked me for money, I’d say no. After a few times they got the message and just said good morning. I never, ever encountered “aggressive” begging.

     

    Charity collectors / chuggers do not bother me in the slightest, just say no thanks. Quite how some people can contend that they don’t come into town because of them rather beggars belief in my view.

     

    In some places, like in the subways at roundabouts, the design of the infrastructure is a problem for mixed cycle and pedestrian use. The subways were built decades ago ( I worked on some) when no one really considered cycling. The current layout is making the best of a bad job and it can’t be improved without spending huge amounts.

     

    The new cycling routes do look big and wide compared to what we’ve seen before, but that is due to the national design standards changing. Change is always difficult for some.

    • Like 1

  6. 2 hours ago, SheffieldForum said:

    Some real generalisations going on.

     

    Anyone would think it is dangerous to walk through town for all these. I’ve done so (pretty much end to end at least twice a day) every day for the past two weeks whilst working out of the city centre and not had a single issue with a cyclist or seen any issues with them.

     

    I didn’t even see one of these apparent non-pedalling motorised bikes that the city is apparently swimming with.

     

    I did see a number of cyclists responsibly pedalling away. About the only issue I saw was a ding from a bell when some pedestrians were blocking a cycle path, which is totally fair. They moved out of the way and the cyclist went on. No issue or malice anywhere.

    I walk around quite a bit too. I agree with what others are saying about the illegal electric bikes, there’s quite a lot of them and they are used inconsiderately.

     

    When I’m out on my bike, often on off road trails, I’ve had walkers moan at me for not using a bell. Others seem aggravated if you use one.  Can’t win really.

     

    I’ve also seen examples of overly aggressive cycling, often from very experienced cyclists who it seems just want to go fast in what I’d consider unsafe circumstances.

    • Like 3

  7. 21 minutes ago, pfifes said:

     I don’t have a problem with cyclists per se, I just object to anti social, selfish cycling.  

    Do you similarly object to anti social and selfish drivers?

     

    I see a lot more instances of poor driver behaviour than I do from cyclists ( probably because there are more motorists)

     

    I just think it’s people being people and some are selfish and inconsiderate.

     

    By the way I do agree about the illegal electric bikes and poor behaviour from delivery riders.  The police could deal with it but will say they don’t have the resources and it isn’t a priority.

    • Like 2

  8. On 11/03/2024 at 11:13, Anna B said:

    Thanks for that.

    However those bullit points mean absolutely nothing

    The local plan is the overall spatial planning policy for the city.

     

    Essentially it’s what tells developers what they can build and where. Planning applications will be judged on their fit with the policies it contains.

     

    It is necessarily pitched at “high level” and deals with broader principles rather than specifics, so it is understandably difficult to get the average person to engage with it. It’s generally of more relevance to developers and interest groups, but it is a very important piece of policy which affects how the city will develop in the next 15 to 20 years, so it’s worth the effort to see what’s being proposed.
     

    They do make every effort to consult people and every response received in the consultations is responded to in the documentation.

     

    It has been through public consultation and will now be examined by a planning inspector in public sessions.


  9. 1 hour ago, geared said:

    All well and good trying to attract cyclists, but you daren't leave you bike anywhere in town for fear it gets nicked.

    A lot of cyclists use an old bike for coming into town that wouldn’t be too attractive to thieves.

     

    Some effective police action against the thieves might be useful.

    • Thanks 1

  10. 28 minutes ago, sheffborn&bred said:

     

    Not for disabled to get into city centre either is it....disgusting 

    As others have said, bus gates are for giving priority to public transport.

     

    Disabled drivers are not exempt, but the bus gates do not prevent them from accessing anywhere, they just need to use a different route.

     

    In practical terms, disabled drivers could not be exempted from bus gate restrictions. It can only be categories of vehicle which are exempted, like bus, taxi etc.

     

    Some vehicles are classed as “Authorised Vehicles” within the legal orders and are also exempt, but these are vehicles which are normally liveried ( ie have badges / stickers on them which can be easily identified on the recorded images) like NHS patient transport etc. A few have permits and the registrations vehicles using them are stored in the database of the automatic enforcement systems.

     

    People with blue badges do not always travel in the same vehicles, so in practical terms, the authorised vehicle category wouldn't work fir them.
     

    There are also quite a lot of blue badge holders, so exempting them from restrictions might compromise the reason for the restriction ie to speed up public transport.

     

    The legislative framework for bus gates / lanes is set up by the government. I don’t know of anywhere that exempts blue badge holders.

     

    The council have in the past been asked to exempt quite a few different types of vehicle / road user, but most times it is impractical. There have also been cases such as in York, where the council exempted too many types of vehicle from restrictions which has led to the restriction being classed as unenforceable by the independent adjudicators who decide on appeals against fines issued. That is a significant risk that councils have to bear in mind.

     

     

    • Like 1

  11. 1 hour ago, Rockers rule said:

    The mix of cyclist, pedestrians and shoppers doesn't work.

    There can't be many cyclist who actually go 'Shopping'.

    Seems to work perfectly well in many places. Why not here.

    The city centre isn’t just about shopping. Thousands of people live in the city centre, work there and visit for education, business etc.

     

    There are studies which indicate that people who arrive on foot or by cycle actually spend more over a period than those who arrive by car.

    • Like 1

  12. 2 hours ago, Anna B said:

    As a single disabled person who can't walk far and relies on a car to get around, how can I get to enjoy Sheffield city centre? Not a complaint, but just wondering whether provision for people like me has been given any consideration? 

    A mobility scooter is not viable as I wouldn't be able to get it in and out of a car boot by myself. 

    Any ideas?

    Try shopmobility on Eldon Street. They hire out electric scooters


  13. 1 hour ago, Irene Swaine said:

    I totally agree. It's like a maze trying to navigate round Fargate. Poorly planned construction works, if they had done it in set blocks, they could have maintained a straight path. And yes, it's a waste to dig up those cobbles and all that investment from the 1990s just to replace them with more cobbles/paving. It's a vanity project to make the councillors feel good. The cobbles were never the problem with Fargate.

    So pushing the refreshments trolley on a train gives you a better insight into  planning highway works than those who do it for a living? Do give it a rest with your ill informed twaddle.

     

    It’s not a vanity project at all. It’s utilising specific government funding to regenerate a city centre area that wasn’t doing too well. The paving and public realm is just one part of it and it is important to businesses and investors who are looking for somewhere to locate.


  14. 1 hour ago, redruby said:

    Since when did city centres need ‘refurbishing’ on a regular basis like a kitchen or bathroom 😂

    Should we really be digging up and resurfacing city centre pedestrianised areas every 10-20 years or so?  Is that a good use of money and resources?  Is it environmentally friendly?

    I know some people moaned about the cobbles.  I believe it was at least partly due to concerns about trips and falls (particularly for elderly/ disabled) and wheelchair access.  But the cobbles were put down regardless of the concerns and 30 years later they are dug up.  I believe at least in part for aforementioned reasons. And perhaps the cost of maintaining them.  Perhaps the moaners were correct after all then.

    For as long as I can remember, areas of public realm in the city centre have been refreshed/refurbished on a fairly regular basis. The Moor is one example.

     

    30+ years isn’t too bad a lifetime for public realm when you look at how frequently things get changed around. Nowadays people expect public areas to look good. It attracts investment.

     

    Fargate is being regenerated to bring it up to date and attract more footfall, new businesses and investment. The paving and public realm is just one part of it.
     

     I think most would agree Fargate hasn’t  been doing too well in recent years. The council are using government funds specifically for regenerating high street areas. 
     

    Would you rather they didn’t bid for this type of investment? I’d think they would be criticised if they didn’t, bearing in mind that other towns and cities nearby are regenerating their town and city centres utilising this funding.


  15. 3 hours ago, pfifes said:

    Fargate is horrendous for pedestrians now with people being funnelled into narrow pathways between plastic barriers.  I just hope the end result is worth because it has looked a total mess for ages now.  And it wouldn’t surprise me if the whole lot is dug up again in 10 years time for the next ‘transformation’!!  I wonder how much money they spent on getting the Italian craftsmen to put the cobbles on Fargate in the 90’s?  All dug up now.

    Moan. Moan. Moan.

     

    Never heard the one about omelettes and eggs? Go try to build something in the middle of a main city centre route while maintaining access at all times and you might understand why it looks like it does and it takes along time.

     

    If you remember, people moaned about the cobbles when they were put in. Didn’t like the uneven surface. Didn’t like that they had to bring in foreign workers to do it.

     

    The 90’s were well over 30 years ago, so it was probably overdue for a refurbishment anyway.

     

    Whatever they do, people will moan.


  16. 8 hours ago, Resident said:

     

    I, for one always thought that the aim of resurfacing was to repair the damage and leave a smooth, flat (well slightly cambered for water runoff) road way. 

    I've driven on a number of newly resurfaced roads around the city and they couldn't be considered smooth or flat

     

     

    Concrete roads are awful to drive on. 

    IIRC concrete roads were only ever supposed to be temporary, built in the days when tarmac was scarce. 

    Most authorities now are replacing the concrete motorways. 1

    Send in a complaint and let us know how you get on.

     

    No, concrete isn’t just for temporary use. There are circumstances in which it’s considered more appropriate than tarmac and has a lower whole life cost. The downside is that the surface is noisier and more difficult to maintain.


  17. 16 minutes ago, pfifes said:

    Thank you.  There is useful information in there albeit with a large amount of defensiveness towards the council.  I have previously signed petitions and contacted by MP about this, which short of starting my own campaign is probably about all I can do regarding government policy.
    I think the issue is that pavement parking is becoming more and more frequent.  And this just encourages more motorists to do the same as it is  seemingly very little incentive not to.  I totally understand that the parking wardens can’t monitor very area constantly but what be done is to wallop a very hefty fine on those that are caught as a deterrent.  I understand that won’t be popular with some but neither were speed limits, seat belts and drink driving laws when they were introduced!!  

    I don’t think it is defensive, just pointing out operational practicalities.

     

    From personal observations I’d agree that pavement parking is a growing issue. The government need to provide the tools for councils to tackle it.

     

    Regarding “hefty” fines. The fine levels are set by government and it can be argued they aren’t a huge deterrent, but again, the government don’t seem inclined to allow councils outside London to charge more.


  18. 33 minutes ago, spilldig said:

    My point being that it would not have to be enforced a  on half measure basis, now and again. It would have to be rigorously enforced 24/7  without fail on every vehicle every time if you could trust the council to do that.

    The moving traffic offences will be enforced by automatic cameras.

     

    The council have many years experience in operating these.


  19. 42 minutes ago, Resident said:

     

    Unfortunately there are 2 areas that need to see enforcement but seem not to be on SCC's radar despite numerous complaints.

    • The box junction on the exit of Meadowhall bus station. Buses regularly struggle to get out due to yellow box contraventions.
    • Blonk St, entering from Wicker. Absolutely prolific illegal turns, usually by taxis
       

    In another post you quite rightly said that not all bus gates are enforced by camera which I think is a mistake. There are 3 bus gates in the city that are regularly abused and should be enforced by camera IMO

    • Commercial St > Angel St
    • Fitzwilliam Gate
    • Church St (signposted BUS and TRAM ONLY) excludes taxis yet taxi drivers ignore this and drive through anyway in both directions. 

    Numerous complaints by whom to who?

     

    Bus lane / gate cameras are generally located at places where public transport operators have complained that drivers contravening the restrictions are causing them problems / delays ( and there is evidence to support the contention).

     

    There are regular meetings with operators at which these issues are discussed.

     

    I would not expect them to introduce box junction / banned turn enforcement at every single location where there’s been a complaint.

     

    Certainly the bus lane cameras can be moved and I’d guess the moving traffic ones are the same. Therefore once compliance is improved at a site, the camera can be moved to another one. 
     

    Sites considered for enforcement are checked and any necessary work carried out to ensure ( as much as possible, because the independent adjudicators are the final arbiters of enforceability and they only rule on actual fines issued) that fines issued are actually enforceable. Bus gate/lane enforcement by camera is not as easy as you might think and some of the locations may not be suitable for camera enforcement for a variety of reasons.

     

     


  20. 12 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

    The government have been known to falsify statistics. In any case, why are they going for vehicles that alleviate emissions by taking many vehicles out of use? For every bus with its engine running, that's atleast 30 cars with the engines switched off...if I believed in all of that climate change business, I'd be issuing air zone charges for private cars, as they are the biggest cause of emissions when you consider emissions per passenger. There was a time when the government used to say public transport was "environmentally friendlier" than private cars. đŸ€·

    In this case, the monitoring of air quality is actually done by the council for the government.

     

    Buses are running around all day every day, as are trucks, taxis and vans. Their mileage is generally a lot higher than the average car.

     

    The CAZ is about nitrogen dioxide levels. It isn’t a greenhouse gas, so it’s not about climate change. It’s a dangerous pollutant that impacts on people’s health. There are legal limits for it and the government has been required by the courts to ensure compliance.

     

    Modern vehicles don’t emit much nitrogen dioxide compared to older ones.


  21. 12 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

    Definitely not. Take a walk on Abbeydale Road and you will see there eis no enforcement going on. Hence the atrocious parking.

    If you took the trouble to ask parking services, they could tell you exactly how many tickets are issued on Abbeydale Rd. It’s a primary transport route and they were certainly enforced on a daily basis, particularly at peak times when I was there.

     

    Send them an FOI request if you are really interested.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.