Council shelves schemes in order to fund new station

Several transport projects in Rotherham have been shelved so money can be redirected to restoring mainline rail services to the town for the first time in decades.

The council said the decision came after the government approved £11m funding to go towards a business case for the Rotherham Gateway Station as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail investment.

The town's council leader Chris Read said other transport projects had previously been drawn up after attempts to secure permission from the previous government to include full business case funding for the station were refused.

Among those schemes now being mothballed are travel improvements at Worrygoose Roundabout in Wickersley.

That project involved £4.88m earmarked for bus priority measures and upgraded pedestrian and cycle crossings.

Also paused is a scheme at Ickles roundabout, which focused on improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists through new parallel crossings, realigned paths and traffic-calming measures, alongside congestion reduction and flood alleviation linked to nearby development.

Read said the approval of the Gateway Station marked a turning point for the borough, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The town has not had intercity rail services for 40 years, and was on a branch line with only local connections.

He said: "Our ambition isn't just to fix that wrong, but to make the most of what it unlocks – direct connection into the tram-train network, thousands of jobs created and the delivery of high-quality new homes alongside renewed investment in the Don Valley corridor.

"While other projects will be considered for future funding rounds, the council's intention remains to facilitate what would be a nationally significant project for the benefit of the whole community."

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