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I am a Councillor on Sheffield City Council for Arbourthorne ward in Sheffield and a Labour Party activist.
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New 20 Miles Per Hour Zone in Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield City Council will introduce a 20mph speed limit in the city centre following strong public backing to the recent consultation.
Sheffield drivers to face 20mph city centre speed limit from Sheffield Live on Vimeo.
A 20mph speed will now be rolled out before the end of the year on hundreds of streets in Sheffield city centre in a bid to make roads safer, better for pedestrians and cyclists and to improve air quality. The consultation sought public feedback on Council plans to provide a new speeding zone on more than 300 roads in the middle of the city, encompassing nearly every street apart from a few major thoroughfares such as Arundel Gate, Derek Dooley Way and Sheaf Street.
The Council is also making plans for additional improvements to tackle congestion on the inner ring-road.
Over the recent months the city centre has witnessed an increasing number of traffic accidents and this is something the Council clearly wanted to address. It is hoped that reducing the speed of traffic in residential areas will, in the long term, reduce the number and severity of accidents. This should also reduce the fear that accidents will take place, thereby, likely to lead to more sustainable modes of travel such as cycling being adopted – resulting in a more cohesive environment overall.
Since Labour were elected to run Sheffield City Council in 2011 a series of measures have been undertaken to achieve their aim of establishing 20mph as the maximum speed for residential areas throughout Sheffield. The restriction has already been introduced with great success in areas such as Darnall, Gleadless Valley, Heeley and Stannington and now the city centre is to follow.
Labour Councillor for City Ward, Moya O’Rourke, was elected in 2015 and after many conversations with local residents it became apparent that there was an overwhelming majority who backed the plans: “Since my election I made a promise to the ward that I would make our city centre roads safer and more environmentally friendly – and I have been pushing for 20 mph zones in the centre to do just that.
“I’m delighted that so many residents in my ward contributed to the council’s public consultation. There is no way this policy would have got off the ground if there wasn’t such a strong will to make it happen by Labour councillors. It’s quite odd that the Sheffield’s Green Party are always trying to claim credit for the policy as, quite frankly, their involvement and relevance to this has been zero”.
Councillor Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure at Sheffield City Council, said:
“Anyone who’s been in our city centre recently will have seen that it is growing rapidly and for the better, with cranes, new shops and new developments. It needs to be a place where safety and sustainable travel are actively supported and encouraged.
“I’m pleased that the consultation was received so positively. This Labour Council is absolutely determined to improve road safety throughout the city and 20mph zones play a big role in this. Not only do speeds reduce in these areas, there’s a reduction in the severity of the accidents and an improvement in air quality”.
Councillor Scott also acknowledged that some submissions to the consultation questioned the effect of the speeding zones on air pollution.
In response Councillor Scott said: “I am aware of concerns that travelling at 20mph could negatively affect air quality. However, the evidence actually shows that at a constant lower speed a driver will use less fuel, and safer roads should mean more people taking up walking and cycling instead. I am absolutely committed to improving safety on our roads and taking real action to improve Sheffield’s air quality. Pleasingly, this measure should help in both of these respects in City Ward”.
Posted by jackjosiahscott on October 18, 2017
https://labourjack.wordpress.com/2017/10/18/new-20-miles-per-hour-zone-in-sheffield-city-centre/
Speech to Full Council: A Vision for Better Transport in Sheffield with Labour
*** Below is a copy of my remarks to the recent Full Council meeting, where I led Labour’s call for proper investment in Northern transport and infrastructure. Check against delivery ***
Once again, the Tory government is letting the people of Sheffield down and taking us for a ride.
The cancellation of electrification means passengers in Sheffield will be denied the faster, greener, more reliable train journeys we were promised. The London-centric Tories do not act in the interests of the whole UK. They have put their own survival ahead of everything else, finding £1 billion for a deal with the DUP, and it’s communities like ours in South Yorkshire that are paying the price.
The Tories are trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes by claiming that diesel bi-mode trains will deliver the same benefits as electrification, despite saying for years that failure to electrify the network will cause 20% more CO2, worsen air quality, lessen capacity and make services slower and less reliable AND more costly to maintain. The Tory spin isn’t fooling anyone.
It is absurd that it takes longer to travel by train from Liverpool to Hull than from London to Paris, yet the government spend £1500 more per head in London than the North.
But rather than addressing these disparities, the Conservatives are abandoning the North.
We need a different government, with a different vision. So not only will Labour deliver the promised electrification, Labour will nationalise franchises as they expire, Labour will invest £10bn to build a new Crossrail for the North and expand the rail network in order to drive economic growth and rebalance our economy for the many not the few.
I’d like to finish on a slightly more positive note and talk about HS2 and HS3. I’m pleased to see the Liberal Democrats are grudgingly welcoming the progress Labour has secured for city centre location, despite Nick Clegg’s view that it should be in Meadowhall. Many people said that a city-centre location would never happen, never be agreed and never be in the plan. They were all proved wrong.
This administration is focused, determined and succeeding in delivering HS2 in the best possible place for Sheffield and South Yorkshire. This is the result of the strong, determined leadership of our Leader Julie Dore, me and Labour.
Finally, Lord Mayor, this isn’t just about being Sheffield. Investment in transport is essential to rebalancing the economy and boosting growth and creating opportunities for all.
So Sheffield has the Council that it needs but Britain doesn’t have the government that it deserves. The sooner this dishonourable, discredited and dysfunctional government is put out of its misery – the better. Thank you very much.
Posted by jackjosiahscott on October 2, 2017
https://labourjack.wordpress.com/2017/10/02/speech-to-full-council-a-vision-for-better-transport-in-sheffield-with-labour/
Sheffield Hallam Hustings 2017
I stood in for the brilliant Jared O’Mara at one of the hustings in Sheffield Hallam.
It was an important opportunity to hold Nick Clegg to account for his votes and actions.
As almost every visitor to this site will be aware, Jared went on to beat Nick Clegg and become Labour’s first ever MP in Sheffield Hallam. I know he will do an amazing job.
I hope this video is of interest.
Posted by jackjosiahscott on August 20, 2017
https://labourjack.wordpress.com/2017/08/20/sheffield-hallam-hustings-2017/
Sheffield to remember VC hero Arnold – 100 years on
Sheffield will remember the last of its Victoria Cross recipients, whose acts of heroism saved hundreds of lives during the First World War, exactly 100 years to the day when he carried out his first acts of bravery.
A commemorative plaque will be laid in honour of Sergeant Arnold Loosemore at the cenotaph in Barker’s Pool on Friday 11 August 2017 at 12.30 pm. All are welcome to attend.
Sergeant Loosemore, who was in the 8th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment (Sheffield), was decorated for gallantry twice during the First World War.
His acts of heroism on 11 August 1917 saw him awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery and initiative in the face of the enemy, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
His platoon was under heavy machine gun fire when Arnold, then a private, crawled through partially cut wire, dragging his Lewis gun with him, and single-handedly dealt with a strong party of the enemy, killing about 20 of them.
Immediately afterwards his Lewis gun was blown up by a bomb, and three enemy rushed for him, but he shot them all with his revolver.
Later, he shot several enemy snipers, exposing himself to heavy fire each time. On returning to the original post he brought back a wounded comrade under heavy fire at the risk of his life. He displayed throughout an utter disregard of danger.
On 19 June 1918 at Zillebeke Belgium, the now Sergeant Arnold Loosemore’s continuing devotion to gallantry and duty were again recognised, this time for the award of a Distinguished Conduct Medal.
On 13 October 1918, just 23 days before Armistice, Arnold was badly wounded by machine gun fire in France with injuries needing the amputation of his left leg above the knee.
Arnold Loosemore will have a commemorative plaque placed at the Sheffield Cenotaph on Friday.
After the war Arnold return to Sheffield, married his childhood sweetheart Amy Morton and thad a son named Arnold. Following several years of ill-health and pain, Arnold died at home from tuberculosis in 1924 aged just 27.
Many of his surviving family will be in attendance on Friday.
Councillor Jack Scott, ward councillor for Arbourthorne, whose constituency covers Gleadless where Arnold Loosemore has a housing estate named after him, said: “This soldier was a true Sheffielder and war hero.
“He wasn’t especially well treated during his lifetime and we are delighted to be making amends in this way. I hope as many people as possible can attend during their lunch hour or with their own families to recognise a true Sheffield hero and mark his heroic contribution to our years of peace.”
Sgt Loosemore is the third Sheffielder to be honoured in this way. Major William Barnsley Allen and Sgt Maj John Raynes have also been honoured with plaques.
The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Cllr Anne Murphy, said: “We have recently marked the anniversary of the battle of Passchendaele and Friday’s service shows the importance of the gallantry displayed by so many Sheffielders in this terrible conflict.
“It will be an absolute honour to stand alongside his family to make a permanent memorial to his valour, in the city centre. I invite all citizens of Sheffield to join me in commemorating Sgt Loosemore, one of Sheffield’s bravest sons of the First World War.”
Posted by jackjosiahscott on August 7, 2017
https://labourjack.wordpress.com/2017/08/07/sheffield-to-remember-vc-hero-arnold-100-years-on/
Air Quality Interview – Sheffield Live Video
Posted by jackjosiahscott on August 5, 2017
https://labourjack.wordpress.com/2017/08/05/air-quality-interview-sheffield-live-video/
£18m investment speeds up Sheffield buses
A £18.3 million investment to speed up Sheffield bus routes and cut congestion has seen some city journey times slashed by up to 25 per cent.
Highway improvements on key bus routes – including smarter signal controls, new bus lanes, junction upgrades, road widening and more cameras to better monitor the flow of traffic – in the city centre, north Sheffield, Gleadless, Meadowhead and on Penistone Road have also seen bus punctuality improvements of up to three per cent.
The work, designed to give buses priority and improve traffic management across Sheffield’s 187 bus routes, is part of the UK’s first designated ‘Better Bus Area’ scheme, delivered by Sheffield Bus Partnership since 2013 and funded by the Department for Transport.
Benefiting up to 55 million passengers a year, it combines money previously paid directly to bus operators with a Government grant, allowing the Partnership – made up of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), Sheffield City Council and local bus companies – to work together to improve bus journey times to provide regular and reliable services.
Sheffield City Council Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability, Councillor Jack Scott, said: “Public transport is key to helping people travel in and around Sheffield, and a good quality bus service is vital in offering people choices in how they travel, and helping the City Council manage traffic congestion.
“We all want more jobs and homes provided for people, and the Better Buses Programme has made major contributions to improving conditions on our main roads – for buses and for car drivers, by making a series of highway improvements that benefit everyone.”
SYPTE Director of Public Transport, Ben Gilligan, said: “Buses are a vital public service and an effective bus network is an essential part of a vibrant economy – linking people to jobs, education, shops and leisure. Through the Better Bus Area scheme, Sheffield Bus Partnership is helping transport to move more efficiently on key city corridors, and in turn improving bus satisfaction and increasing passenger numbers to reduce carbon emissions and congestion for everyone.”
Co-location of bus operator and Council staff at the city’s Urban Traffic Control Centre, a move made possible through the scheme, also means information sharing and the ability to minimise disruption caused by road incidents is greatly improved.
Future improvements delivered by the five-year Better Bus Area scheme, which concludes in March 2018, include widening Chesterfield Road at Heeley and further improvements on the Barnsley Road Corridor.
Kevin Belfield, Managing Director of First South Yorkshire, said: “We’re pleased with the latest results, which show that bus journey times are being reduced, however it’s important that we don’t become complacent, as what really matters to our customers is our ability to run services punctually. We welcome the continued work to improve road infrastructure for public transport in Sheffield.”
Matt Davies, Managing Director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, added: “We welcome these results and are really pleased to see investment and improvements are helping to deliver benefits for passengers and contributing to a more efficient and attractive city transport network.
“However, improvements in journey time can easily be offset by increasing traffic levels and congestion which means that we must continue to keep up the momentum. Focusing on improving bus journey times is now even more essential than ever.”
Driving Forward: Better Buses for Sheffield
Posted by jackjosiahscott on August 1, 2017
https://labourjack.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/18m-investment-speeds-up-sheffield-buses/
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