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What follows will be a look at the steady but ongoing pedestrianisation of Sheffield city centre. Details may be brief but will set the scene for the current road layout and hopefully will also show the vast amount of money that has been wasted over the years trying to ‘drive’ the motorists away. Back in the 70's I can remember shopping in an area of the city centre called 'The Moor', nothing unusual there you might think, but I remember it vividly because of the mounds of earth, JCB's and workmen, at this time 'The Moor' was being altered from probably the busiest road in the city centre into a pedestrian precinct. Traffic was diverted, trees planted and a bandstand built. What a waste this has proved to be, there are now a multitude of empty shops, plenty of 'pound special' type shops, hawkers, beggars and as far as I'm aware the bandstand was only used a few times so it's been dismantled! This is just one example of a council (now 'UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT' - but NO better!) that seems to think paving over the entire city centre will encourage more shoppers, unfortunately most shoppers are motorists, something it seems our council seems to hate, should you think this seems far fetched, just try navigating the city centre, even after living here for 31 years I struggle to find a route to where I want to get to, if you should manage this trying to find a parking space is like trying to find 3 wise men and a virgin (only one instance in recorded history!) and if you should happen across one the cost of a days parking can easily add £5 to your shopping bill.
Above The Moor, these two photographs show it from each end and a decade apart. The image on the left is looking up The Moor from London Rd. towards Pinstone St. in 1964. The second looking from Pinstone St. to London Rd. in the early 1970s. Below:- Map showing roads surrounding The Moor.
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