News: £12.2m on bike lanes, bus lanes and a built up roundabout - Rotherham Council's latest active travel scheme

Further details have been revealed for the creation of a sustainable transport corridor incorporating Fitzwilliam Road and St Ann's Roundabout at Eastwood, on the edge of Rotherham town centre.

Rothbiz revealed last month that contracting was underway for two new active travel schemes in the borough and now Rotherham Council has launched a consultation on its ideas for what the authourity is calling the "Rotherham East network improvements."

Galliford Try Construction Ltd has been awarded the contract for stage 1 (Design and Pre-Construction) of the project which is expected to be completed within 12 months, with an option to extend into stage 2 works for an estimated 18 months and a total contract price of £12.2m.

The biggest change proposed is for St Anns roundabout, where the council is proposing to bring the crossings up to ground level and fill in the subways to make the space feel more welcoming. Previously mentioned in 2020 and based on community feedback, the move echoes the work undertaken a decade ago at Pool Green roundabout (Liquid roundabout) on the other side of the town centre.

Two options for St Ann's have been designed. The first would maintain a roundabout, adding traffic light crossings to ensure pedestrian safety. The subways and centre of the roundabout would be filled in with new pathways and cycleways added to link the town centre and Eastwood.

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Option two would see St Ann's Road closed to motor traffic at its junction with St Leonard's Road and a bus gate introduced from Fizwilliam Road to Centenary Way, significantly altering the road layout. Like option one the subways and centre of the roundabout would be filled in with new pathways and cycleways added with new traffic light crossings.

The consultation states: "We have created two options. Based on early traffic modelling we expect the flow of traffic to be similar for both options. These are early-stage designs and we want your feedback to ensure we get it right."

For Fitzwilliam Road between St Ann’s Roundabout and Mushroom Roundabout the plan is to provide bus priority and separate cycleways.

A bus lane in the Rotherham-bound direction would make bus services faster and more reliable and the bus lane at Mushroom roundabout would be extended to Chesterton Road. Painted cycle lanes are set to be replaced with dedicated cycle tracks to separate cyclists from motor traffic and improve safety and new designated parking spaces are also included.

Proposals also aim to "maximise useful road space" by removing central islands and adding traffic light-controlled crossings.

A number of Local Neighbourhood Improvements are also proposed to address issues such as pavement parking blocking footways, cars not observing the speed limit and children not having safe routes to walk, cycle or scoot to school.

The consultation is open now and runs until November 29.

Funding is coming from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS), £570m from the government to the region to bring significant improvements to South Yorkshire’s transport system.

SYMCA's Active Travel Implementation Plan sets out how, by 2040, a fully connected network of walking and cycling routes will link the region, transforming communities and ensure that people have the means and the confidence to leave their cars at home, and choose to travel on foot or by bicycle.

Rotherham Council consultation website

Images: RMBC

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News: Contractors appointed for Rotherham town centre green space projects

Contractors have been appointed to undertake work on a pocket park and high-quality public space on the High Street in Rotherham, but the scheme has been delayed again.

Another town centre green space project is being designed.

Rotherham Council purchased the former Primark building on High Street in November 2020, using funding from the Towns Fund Accelerator programme after the Government awarded a £1m grant to kick start regeneration projects in Rotherham town centre.

Demolition work took place last June and the authority had set out to complete a pocket park by September 2021.

Approved plans for Snail Yard would see 0.08 hectares of the 0.24 hectares site turned into public space will have a stepped profile and proposals include astrotrufed terraces, seating and trees, as well as branding features such as the red scaffolding with black mesh proposed to encase the site. This could be a space for public artwork, and / or large branding and signage.

Having secured further funding in December, Rotherham Council has now appointed Galliford Try, one of the UK's leading construction groups, to carry out £400,000 of landscaping works, hard and soft public realm areas and fencing works surrounding the site's perimeter.

The project has also been delayed and is now due for completion by June 2022. The council said that its construction projects "are being affected by national market conditions" such as national labour and material shortages.

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At Forge Island, where work is being carried out to create a new leisure scheme with an 8-screen boutique style cinema, modern hotel, food and drink outlets and car parking, a scheme called Riverside Gardens is set complement the investment.

Using Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) and Council money, the creation of a high-quality Riverside Gardens is set to link the Forge Island redevelopment with the town centre in the area around the now demolished Riverside Precinct.

Tetra Tech, a leading provider of consulting and engineering services, has been appointed by the council on a £439,196 contract for the design and delivery of the gardens and public realm.

Tetra Tech acquired UK-based engineering firm WYG in 2019. Consultants at WYG worked on the Rotherham town centre masterplan which was adopted in 2017.

Images: RMBC

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