Road safety priority distorted by Labour's political meddling

2.11.55pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 22nd Jun 2007

Road safety priority distorted by Labour's political meddling

The Labour Party on Sheffield City Council have been accused of political meddling after amending priority for child road safety schemes. The Council's Labour Cabinet agreed to change priority on future child road safety schemes. Controversially, the change has seen schemes in 'favoured areas' move up in priority whilst other schemes with a higher number of accidents relegated.

Schemes in Gleadless Valley, Heeley and Walkley, have moved down the list and now stand little chance of being completed in the near future. However, all three schemes have seen a greater number of accidents in the last five years than schemes now set to be completed due to the new criteria.

For example, a scheme in Firth Park with 6 accidents in the last 5 years now tops the priority list and will be worked upon. But schemes in Gleadless Valley (7 accidents), Heeley (8 accidents) and Walkley (11 accidents) all drop out of the top twenty priority list. It is estimated that about two schemes will be completed every year.

Child Safety Zones are areas in which measures are introduced to enforce a 20mph speed limit. A typical zone would cost between about £150,000 and £250,000 to introduce. So far four such zones have been introduced with another currently being constructed.

Cllr David Baker, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: -

"We believe that the council should be putting its resources into road safety where the problem is at its worst, if necessary amending the size of potential schemes so that areas with the highest number of accidents see investment. We are opposed to this change in priority, which is down to nothing more than political meddling."

"Schemes in places such as Walkley, Gleadless Valley and Heeley will now not go ahead due to this change. Local residents in these areas will now not see the measures to improve road safety that they were expecting. Rather than putting their favoured areas policy into practice to the determent of common sense and road safety in Sheffield, Labour need to put resources into areas with the greatest need."