Sheffield Ranger News Dec 15 2017

Highways England Designated Funds Stakeholder Webinar


I joined this to see whether there was anything that the TPT could benefit from. It’s a scheme which provides funding for environment – £300 million, cycling, safety and integration (CSI) - £250 million, air quality – £100 million, innovation – £150 million, growth and housing – £100 million

This was mostly about how to apply for funding for schemes but there were a couple of items of local interest:-

They are going to install a Dutch-style curved barrier alongside the M1 in S.Yorks to reduce noise.

South Yorks police starting to use electric vehicles - up to 20 vehicles initially. A pilot went very well.


Active Derbyshire

The Sheffield to Manchester route(NCN6) is included in this list of schemes:-

https://www.activederbyshire.org.uk/forms/view/keycyclenetworks

So it looks like we're getting somewhere with it!

We've been working on this for quite a few years - first meeting about it was 2005! Read the full history at http://www.sheffieldcycleroutes.org/getting-to-the-peak/ Great to see that my suggestion of calling it the Little John Route even gets a mention!

Give it a go day
These are events that Sheffield University puts on to introduce students to volunteering. Since the long-term sustainability of the Ranger group depends on getting younger people involved I’m always keen to promote these kinds of events. I’ve suggested we could do one on March 10 or April 14 and if it comes off I’ll be looking for people to help out.

Access Barrier measurements

Remember the exercise we did last winter measuring and photographing Access Barriers? Well apparently there’s a few we didn’t get. Connor at the TPT office sent us a list but I think some them were on the Google Map so I’ve asked him to re-check. Once I’ve had the revised list back I’ll be asking for volunteers to complete the job - be warned! .

Good Gym

We did an excellent session with these guys* in 2017 at the Durham Ox and are planning to re-engage in 2018. Provisional dates below

2018 Dates for your diary

13th Jan Annual Plan Review - Meerbrook HUB )Formerly the HPVC) . 11-1. Tea & coffee, wood-burning stove, biscuits.

15th March - Presentation on the TPT for CTC Sheffield @ the Fat Cat. 7 p.m.

30th April - Good Gym - Durham Ox

30th July - Good Gym - Manor Way Access Point.

TPT Central Group Meetings:-

These that are organised by the TPT Office in Barnsley to keep partners (including volunteers) up to date with developments

Thu 19 Apr 2018
Thu 6 Sep 2018
Sat 10 Feb 2018

Sheffield Ranger News - December 8th 2017

Route Report - NCN6 Porter Valley

Kevin says - I did a route check today. The trail surfaces are suffering a bit, especially near Forge Dam with the rains of Winter on us.

Lots of rubbish at the top of the trail, especially along Clough Lane. People seem to park, have a few drinks, take a few drugs, chuck out the cans and blister packs, have a bit of sex, chuck out the condoms and then move on. Probably don’t even appreciate the scenery.

The nice thing is that people thank me for clearing up and a couple of people said they ought to bring a bag themselves to pick up rubbish. I hope they do.

Colliery Road

This is a road that was closed to traffic and turned into a link from Wincobank to the 5WW - I’m not sure when & it’s not on any mapping I’ve checked as a bike route.

It’s a bit of a mess though - I’ve reported it. If you’re up that way please have a look.

Dates for your diary

9th Dec Sustrans Workday

10 a.m. Sheffield Station

Plan is to put some dabs of luminous paint on bollards and other barriers that have lost their reflectors, or never had any. Manor Way, Prince of Wales Rd & Meadowhall are first stops. If you know of other places that could do with a spot of luminosity let me know. Also having a look at the AMRC link - a bus pull-in at Handsworth may be reducing the width of the cycle path.

It’s going to be cold so wrap up warm.

10th Dec Bio-Diversity Walk

Polly’s leading a walk with student volunteers this Sunday.They'll meet under the concourse outside the Uni of Sheffield Students' Union at 10.30am and walk out along the Sustrans route towards the Peak District going as far as we all feel happy with - probably aiming for Forge Dam cafe to finish (we may go further and then return there).

They  won't be walking fast as we'll be discussing potential future plans for improvements for wildlife along the way, probably for about 3 hours and can return by bus. Contact Polly if you’re interested.

13th Jan Annual Plan Review - Meerbrook HPVC. 11-1. Tea & coffee, wood-burning stove, biscuits.

Sheffield Ranger News 24th November

E-bike try-out session 19th Nov, 12-4 Meersbrook HPVC

We did an E-Bike Tryout session on Sunday at the Meersbrook H&EPVC which was quite successful - 7 tryouts performed. If you’d like to try one of these, or know someone who might, get in touch.

Pics & Vids Here

Greno Woods Masterplan

All those with an interest in this area are invited to take part in the online consultation and/or to attend a drop in session on Tuesday 28th November, 7.30-9pm, at the Reading Rooms, School Lane, Grenoside, to view and comment on the draft plan.

From the Sustrans/TPT POV the trail surface through Greno needs improvement and we need better access from Oughtibridge. Possibly the signage could be clearer? - you can either go through Wharncliffe Woods or down Woodhead Rd to pick up the railway path at Finkle St.

Friends of the Trans-Pennine Trail

Mick Nott has come up with an idea for a River Don Walk which I’m going to take to the Friends.

I did a talk for Calderdale CTC in Halifax on Friday, 17th about the TPT which seemed to be well received.

Dates for your diary

25th November Simon’s Birthday Bash at the Dorothy Pax, Victoria Quays. 8 till late - all welcome.

9th December Sustrans Workday - any suggestions?

13th Jan Annual Plan Review - Meerbrook HPVC. 11-1. Tea & coffee, wood-burning stove, biscuits.

Ranger News November 17 2017

Click  here for the November 17 Newsletter

Ranger News November 10

Click here for this week's ranger news

Out Surveying

Our Rangers  were out this morning at Blonk Street for our second questionnaire stint.  They completed 20 and sent them off to the TPT Office.  Interesting morning today with a wide variety of people/activities.

They also took a few minutes to place an additional sign where the Five Weirs Walk leaves Attercliffe Rd.

5WW Closure

The 5 Weirs Walk will be closed as a safety precaution for a crane lift on sat 29^th & sun 30^th of July. The section is between Newhall Road & the footbridge over the river from Bold Street & also includes the access track for Don Road.

Five Weirs Walk Closure

The 5WW is closed between Effingham Rd and Attercliffe Rd for about 3 weeks while a building is demolished. There should be a diversion in place via Leveson St. This is a planned closure of which we were notified. 

Closure at Barrow Road

The bridge at Barrow Road which carries the TPT north of Meadowhall was struck by a lorry last week, some photos of the damage below.

SCC's structures team have been out to assess and have decided that in the interest of safety the shared use footway at Barrow Road should be closed to pedestrians and cyclists. They also recommend that the track should be closed until Sustrans and our structures team have been out to assess the full extent of the damage. We know that there are no heavy vehicles going over the bridge but we’re not sure of the impact on the overall structure.

I’m not sure how long the sections should be closed for but should have more information next week after the assessment has been carried out by Sustrans. 

Good Gym Great Guys!

We had a great clean-up with the runners from Good Gym on Monday night. Here's a few pix:

& Here's the Gang (Pic from the Good Gym blog)

Thanks Everyone! 

Spring is in the air

We've had some great events over the past couple of weeks.

On the 11th, as well as having a meeting to finalise our Annual Plan we went up to Beeley Woods to see what Polly and  Tony have been doing up there. This really is a lovely path through the woods to Oughtibridge  - P. and T. have been making sure it stays that way.

They are working on information boards as well - apparently over 60 species live in these woods. It's a pity getting to the woods from Hillsborough isn't quite as safe and pleasant as it could be and there are problems in Oughtibridge as well, with several collisions at the junction with Station Lane. In fact there was a protest about this on the Monday after we visited:-

It's a pity someone had parked some cars on the pavement!

The redevelopment of the paper mill will hopefully provide us with safer links between Beeley and Wharncliffe Woods, hence between NCN627 and the TPT "proper" - NCN67. 

This last Sunday Lenny and I completed Access Barrier measuring between Richmond and Rother Valley, as well as the 2 Bridges Greenway between Killamarsh and Halfway. This completes the Access Barrier measuring in Sheffield - just got to put the results up on the Google Map, I'm halfway through that. We also discovered the Bridle Stile, a great route between Mosbrough and High Lane, not too far from Gleadless.  

Upcoming in the diary we have the following:- 

8th April Route Check -

10th April  - Stall at Sheffield Station.

25th April  - Evening Working Session (first of BST) 

NCN627 Blocked

We've had a report that NCN627 on Penistone Rd is blocked following a lorry strike and will investigate.

Save Smithy Wood Demo

The decision about whether to turn this piece of ancient woodland into a motorway service station is imminent and the Woodland Trust has organised a demo to raise awareness on the 18th at 11:30 at the Town Hall

From our point of view this woodland lies on the route of the Chapeltown Greenway so it's a question of whether you'd rather take your exercise through ancient woodland or a motorway car park. The developers have said they would keep some of the trees as a "feature" - reminiscent of the song "they took all the trees, put them in a tree museum!" 

You can sign up for the  demo at 

http://bit.ly/2n6tss5

Please spread around your networks. 

Ranger Reports Feb 2017

Craig says:-

Spent an hour or so this afternoon sweeping glass (not as much as last time) from Manor Lane all the way up to Prince of Wales Rd.

Rode it this morning with a view to coming out this PM if needed. It was - I got a puncture as well.

Anyway, all good now.

Kevin Says:-

I had a walk down the NCN 6 this morning. 

I was surprised at how much litter there was on Greenhouse Lane. Also off roaders seem to have targeted a lovely little grassy bank halfway down the lane. Big tyre tracks now spoil the bank and will probably restrict any wild flowers growing there. I'm not quite sure how to deal with that. 

At the bottom of Greenhouse Lane at the junction of Harrop Lane and Clough Lane, I mentioned last month that there were the remains of a dumped car. I contacted the flytipping website but nothing has been done so I went back this afternoon and, under the bemused eye of a white van man having his lunch on the corner, I collected the stuff into black bags and took it away.

The stepping stones were just about crossable on foot but I noticed a cyclist using the other side of the river  to avoid that crossing. People will take the logical, practical route.

I think perhaps an extra sign at the entrance to Bingham Park might be an idea for people joining the NCN 6 from Endcliffe Park, even if it is only a number 6 on the sign post as it is not obvious unless the rider is coming from Riverdale and Oakbrook roads.

At Linwood Gardens both ends are a bit of a mess. At the top end cars have parked right next to the entrance leaving a horrible rutted mess. I don't think there is a solid base underneath which can be revealed with a bit of digging. At the bottom end Jackie suggested a ramp to overcome the step up from the road. It is actually a nice stone edging after which the path is quite rough with sharp turns so I don't think any speed will be lost by slowing right down or getting off the bike. I think the whole section needs sorting rather just the step up.

The sign post at the junction of Broomspring Lane and Gell Street is still a little wonky. I usually have a bash at it on passing but accept that it probably needs a bit more of technical repair. I'll take a ladder and sledgehammer next time!!

Apart from that all seems well.

Ranger Reports Jan 2017

John says:-

I popped out this morning and replaced the sign on the post we noted yesterday. I’m not sure my efforts will last long! I gave the post a good wipe but I didn’t think the sign felt very secure.  Some idiot will no doubt find it easy to peel off.

On the way I noticed that a metal sign in Sussex Street, just after the Cobweb bridge, was pointing in slightly the wrong way.  I straightened it but it was rather loose.  It needs tightening with a spanner.  I’m happy to pop back with a spanner if necessary.

On my way back, as I emerged slowly from the underpass near Decathlon, having rung my bell, a runner with headphones on ran straight into me at full speed. He fell sprawling on the floor.  I didn’t actually fall off but he knocked my front light flying.  He was very apologetic.

I will try and record my time, if I can remember how!

Polly and Tony say:-

Polly and I did our route inspection yesterday morning (we hope other rangers had fun on the 5WW).

Our report :
No significant fly tipping.
There were lots of blown-down twigs/branches on the path through the woods so we'll clear them up when we next do an inspection ride over the weekend 11/12 Feb.
We met 2 trail bikers coming out of the woods just as we were going in. When asked they said they were leaving because they'd just been told they weren't allowed there. The bikes had no license plates and they rode off along Claywheels Lane.

We'll let people know more precise timing for our next inspection so that others can join us if they want to.

Take care, Tony & Polly

Out on the Five Weirs Walk with the Ranger Crew

4 of us set off from Sheffield Station this morning and made our way along the 5WW to Meadowhall. We were looking out for problems but thankfully there weren't very many - a bit of litter and some of the surfaces a bit muddy but that's about it! Jackie our new ranger is going to look after this section as well as Meadowhall so hopefully we can make it even better.

We picked up Paul and his friend at  Carbrook St and they took us to Planet X who gave us a coffee and showed us their special offers - brilliant stuff!

Although it started off cold once the sun got going it was really quite warn and pleasant.

One thing it was a pleasure to do was to remove the diversion signs from the route as the closures have all been removed - for now! Here's our happy ranger gang hard at it..

Bold St

 Carbrook St

 Temporary Fence Repair under the new "Rapid Car Transit" Bridge

Bold St

We also admired Paul's new Brompton Bag...

With expansion at Meadowhall, the new Ikea store and the Next store already open, we will continue to make it possible to travel sustainably in this area.