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Trade drops at Atkinsons as bike lane works hit ‘businesses across the area’ – The Star
Atkinsons, Sheffield’s last department store, says roadworks for a new bike route and bus lane have reduced trade and made it harder for customers to reach its car park. Owner Nicholas Atkinson says the disruption has affected businesses across the area, particularly during weeks when the shop expected to be busy.
Barriers went up outside the store’s rear entrance on Charter Row in August, while a bus gate on Furnival Gate diverted traffic. Atkinson said queues and delays followed, and that a request to stage the work in sections was refused over concerns about the project’s funding. Sheffield City Council acknowledged congestion and said it had adjusted construction arrangements and traffic signals, would add car park signs and reduce the work area ahead of Christmas; the store remains open.
In short
- Atkinsons says Sheffield roadworks have hit trade.
- Barriers and traffic diversions disrupted access to its car park.
- The council says it is changing arrangements ahead of Christmas.
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The case for
The works may be causing real short-term harm to Atkinsons and nearby businesses by making access slower and less predictable during an important trading period. The store’s owner says trade has fallen and customers have struggled to reach its car park; staging the work in sections or limiting disruption sooner could have helped businesses cope.
The case against
A new bike route and bus lane may improve safer, more reliable travel and benefit people beyond those who drive to the city centre. Construction disruption is often temporary, and the council says it has adjusted traffic arrangements, will improve car park signs and plans to reduce the work area before Christmas; it also cites funding concerns in declining to stage the work as requested.
Explained simply
Atkinsons is an independent department store in Sheffield city centre and is described as the city’s last department store. Its owner, Nicholas Atkinson, says customers and staff rely in part on access to the store’s car park, as well as nearby roads and entrances.
Sheffield City Council is carrying out work to add a bike route and bus lane on roads around the store, including Charter Row and Furnival Gate. The changes affect how traffic moves through the area, and roadworks can also affect access to nearby shops and businesses.
The issue matters because city-centre transport schemes aim to make journeys by bus and bike easier, while construction can disrupt people travelling by car and those visiting local businesses. The store remains open, and the council has said it is changing some traffic arrangements as the work continues.
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