News: Council drive forward A57 scheme
Following confirmation from The Department for Transport that the council will receive £11.8m for improvements to the A57 in Rotherham, the council have themselves committed £2.9m for the long-awaited scheme.
Planning permission for the scheme was secured in 2009 for a dual carriageway between Junction 31 of the M1 and Todwick Crossroads with a new roundabout replacing the existing crossroads.
The new scheme is slightly different from the one previously supported by the DfT. This reflects the drop in funding from the Government; the disbanding of Yorkshire Forward, which was also contributing to the scheme, and the cuts to local government.
Under the revised scheme the road will have a signalised crossing to replace the plan for a subway under the road and, as a result, the road will also have a 50mph speed limit instead of the original 70mph limit.
Because of the changes, the "new" scheme will require planning permission and the plans will be submitted to the planning department of Rotherham Borough Council in the coming months.
The authority will also be seeking confirmation of the previously made compulsory purchase order and side road order, with the necessary amendments, at a public inquiry. This is likely to be held in the summer.
Cllr Gerald Smith, the Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Environment, said: "This is an important highway in the Borough - carrying high levels of traffic - and it needs to be as safe as possible. It is also vital for continued local regeneration. So it is good to see that the present Government agrees with our intended improvements because the A57 is the only so-called Major Road Scheme to be given the go-ahead in the whole of South Yorkshire.
"The authority obviously has to go through the necessary processes, such as planning and a public enquiry, but if these are successful work should start next year."
Rotherham Council website
Planning permission for the scheme was secured in 2009 for a dual carriageway between Junction 31 of the M1 and Todwick Crossroads with a new roundabout replacing the existing crossroads.
The new scheme is slightly different from the one previously supported by the DfT. This reflects the drop in funding from the Government; the disbanding of Yorkshire Forward, which was also contributing to the scheme, and the cuts to local government.
Under the revised scheme the road will have a signalised crossing to replace the plan for a subway under the road and, as a result, the road will also have a 50mph speed limit instead of the original 70mph limit.
Because of the changes, the "new" scheme will require planning permission and the plans will be submitted to the planning department of Rotherham Borough Council in the coming months.
The authority will also be seeking confirmation of the previously made compulsory purchase order and side road order, with the necessary amendments, at a public inquiry. This is likely to be held in the summer.
Cllr Gerald Smith, the Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Environment, said: "This is an important highway in the Borough - carrying high levels of traffic - and it needs to be as safe as possible. It is also vital for continued local regeneration. So it is good to see that the present Government agrees with our intended improvements because the A57 is the only so-called Major Road Scheme to be given the go-ahead in the whole of South Yorkshire.
"The authority obviously has to go through the necessary processes, such as planning and a public enquiry, but if these are successful work should start next year."
Rotherham Council website
0 comments:
Post a Comment