Harcourt Road held their biannual street party last weekend, which attendees said ‘so many roads could benefit from’. 

Lucy Smith, street party organiser and resident of Harcourt Road for five years, said: “There’s definitely a good community spirit on this street, it’s really strong. 

“Everybody does their bit to help organise the party. The road has a long history of connecting local residents and students and trying to build community.” 

Laura Dallman has lived on the street for 15 years, and is currently undertaking a PHD on community organising and collective action, looking at informal community leadership and how it emerges. 

Ms Dallman said: “I think it’s really important for community members to teach younger people how to work and live within communities, and when I say work I mean be a part of and contribute to them. 

“Because students are so young they don’t really know how to engage necessarily to begin with. Communities are here to support students, especially those who come to this particular street. It is important for us to engage in a way that makes them feel welcome.”

In 2006, The University of Sheffield sold 20 properties on the road, under the condition that they were not sold to house students. 

Alex Deadman grew up in Sheffield and has lived on the road for 15 years, after buying his house in an auction. He said: “It was a run-down, ex-student property that had been abandoned for at least three years. 

“It needed significant work doing to it, but we just feel really lucky and I don’t think we would have ended up with such a big family if we hadn’t moved here. I think we’ll live here for the long haul.” 

Nine years ago, The Sheffield Tab reported that Harcourt Road was The University of Sheffield student’s ‘most dangerous street’. From September 2014 to July 2015, 64 incidents were reported to the police.  

More recent information from the police website shows the number of incidents reported between April 2022 and February 2024 has dropped to 13. 

Joe Hopkins is a third year university student, who moved into the street in July. He said: “The last road I lived on here in Crookesmoor didn’t have much of a community feel. If anything there was probably a bit of hostility between families and students.

“We just kept out of each other’s way, but there is a really welcoming environment here, and I can definitely see this having a positive impact on students.” 

Ms Dallman said: “Students bring a vibrancy to the area, and I think they are a really integral and important part to this community.”

Shokri Hussein, 37, has lived on the street since she was 14. She said: “I have seen a positive impact in the community over this time. 

“In the street we’re like a family. It’s nice to get to know everybody of different cultures.” 

Although the student population has decreased in recent years, families have still spoken of the difficulties it can bring. 

Permanent residents said the main challenges are ‘noise, waste, and disorderly behaviour’, including low level criminal activities that are ‘disruptive to the local area’. 

Mr Deadman said: “I think to some degree there’s been a few problems to solve in the past, and that’s probably helped to bring everybody together.”