DVS Newsletter 3

DORE VILLAGE SOCIETY   NEWSLETTER 3    February 1965

Dore is on the verge of major changes in
the use of its central streets. This newsletter
outlines the problems, and gives the proposals
which the Committee of the Dore Village Society
will put forward at the public meeting which our
ward Councillors have called for MONDAY, 8th
February in the CHURCH HALL at 8.0 pm.
The Committee urges all members to come to this
meeting, and to bring as many others as possible.

    1. Three immediate threats to the status quo in the village are:
      1. the intention of the Police to prevent PARKING in High Street and Church Lane between the Devonshire Arms and the Dore Grill;
      2. the intention of the Transport Department to abandon the present BUS reversing position in Leyfield Road/ Devonshire Terrace Road, and to use instead Devonshire Terrace Road, part of Townhead Road and High Street as a turning circle; (this would necessitate the prohibition of parking on the route);
      3. the likelihood of ROAD WIDENING by the Highways Committee in High Street and Church Lane at Colin Thompson’s or the Devonshire Arms and at Croft House Barn. (These measures are normally the automatic policy of a local authority where sub-standard roads exist. It would be argued that they are necessary in order to reduce the chances of accidents in the Village and to prevent possible traffic congestion.)
    2. The Committee of the Dore Village Society believes that these measures would considerably reduce the amenity value of the Village centre, and in particular the Committee advocates:
      1. that more, not less, parking space is needed;
      2. that buses should not pass through the High Street
      3. that road widening at the points mentioned is undesirable because the buildings referred to are attractive features of the Village.
    3. Naturally, some people say, “Why do we need change; why can’t things stay as they are?” The fact is, that in the second half of the twentieth century, we have no option. At a time when traffic is steadily increasing, our sub-standard roads have either to be widened, or made one-way. The Corporation are required by Parliament to act. The Committee of the Dore Village Society seeks to ensure that when the changes are made, they will be changes that improve the amenities of the Village rather than detract from them. The following proposals are made in the hope that they will be acceptable to the Village and practical for the Corporation.
    4. It is suggested that the bus continue to use the reversing site on Leyfield Road (unless an alternative in Causeway Head Road can be found) and that a REVERSING BAY be constructed in Devonshire Terrace Road on the west side and the pavement on the east side be narrowed to compensate for this.
    1. The special interests which must be catered for are:
      1. through traffic;
      2. parking for shoppers, church-goers, drinkers;
      3. safety of pedestrians, especially children going to the new Primary School and to King Ecgbert School;
      4. trade of existing shopkeepers and public houses;
      5. residents living in or near one-way streets.
    2. If road widening in High Street and Church Lane is to be rejected, and one-sided parking permitted in Church Lane, as the Committee of the Dore Village Society recommends, both these roads need to be one-way. In consequence the routes through the Village centre from north to south must involve High Street, Devonshire Terrace Road, and parts of Townhead Road, Savage Lane, Vicarage Lane and Church Lane. It is suggested that the streets mentioned should be one-way, with the exception of Devonshire Terrace Road, which should remain two-way, as at present. On the following map, double lines indicate two-way streetsm and single lines one-way streets.

    1. Within limitations imposed by the shape of the streets and the special interests described, three one-way systems seems possible. They are shown here in terms of Sheffield – going traffic using the High Street if necessary the flow of traffic could be reversed. The systems are called, for conveniece, the “figure of eight”, the “two circles” and the “bumb-bell”.

  1. The Committee of the Dore Village Society believes that the “dumb-bell” scheme offers the best prospectsfor the Village. This would entail the creation of a pedestrian way closed to traffic in part of High Street. Traffic would move in a dumb-bell shape through the central area in the scheme proposed. One great advantage over the alternative is that because traffic would be excluded from the central stretch of the High Street, there would be a considerable gain in parking spaces. At least 15 cars could be parked in this area. (See large map) It is envisaged that between the two parking bays in this central stretch of the present High Street, a small green could be planted, possibly with a tree and with footpaths. Apart from the parking advantage, this would form a safe pedestrian way of special value to school-children crossing the Village centre. It would certainly add to the charm of the old buildings.
  2. The attached map of the “dumb-bell” scheme pays particular attention to parking sites. Parking is envisaged in the central stretch of High Street as described above, in a bay which could be constructed on “Shentall’s corner”, in the lower part of Townhead Road (and in laybys on the shop frontages above), and on one side of Church Lane from the Hare and Hounds to Dore Grill. If the opportunity arises the Committee will press for parking space in the old school play-ground after the school is closed. (It is envisaged that the extreme corner of this site will be rounded to case the flow of traffic from Vicarage Lane into Savage Lane.) A small roundabout system would be required at the junction of Church and Vicarage Lanes.
  3. Associated with this re-organisation of roadways should be the repair and widening of pavements in the Village. In particular the pavement from the Methodist Chapel to Dore Road required widening.

THE MEETING IS THIS MONDAY IN THE CHURCH HALL AT 8.0 P.M.