Update of Mexborough regeneration plans

Mexborough has been allocated circa £24 million in funding from City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and from Levelling Up Fund round 3 (LUF3).

The Mexborough Masterplan has been developed over the last few years and now is the opportunity to see that delivered, bringing real improvements for residents and businesses of Mexborough.

There is currently a public consultation open which will run until Friday 26^th July. City of Doncaster Council (CDC) is seeking the views of local residents, businesses and visitors to Mexborough. To complete the survey, visit www.doncaster.gov.uk/MexboroughMasterplan

The current plans include:

• Street and shop frontage enhancements, including upgraded CCTV and street lighting. (LUF3)
• Celebrating the town’s heritage and future with new public art. (LUF3)
• More green and social spaces, including a new ‘pocket park’ with trees, planting and seating areas as well as landscaping at the site of the former flyover and the bus interchange. (LUF3)
• Relocation of Bus interchange to bring buses into the town centre and create additional car parking on the former bus interchange. (SYMCA)
• Improving access into the town centre for vehicles including buses, by creating a new junction from Greens Way on to Station Road and Bank Street. (CRSTS)
• Reallocating space on part of the dual carriageway to provide a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists, including upgrading the crossing facilities and adding trees and landscaping supporting a reduction in speeding and providing a safety buffer. This will also enable the junctions at each end to manage capacity and not be over saturated as occurs on occasions now. (CRSTS)

The specific improvements identified aim to make it easier and safer for people to get in to and travel around the town centre on foot, by bike and public transport as well as by car, and encourage more visitors into the town centre. High streets across the country are changing, the reality is that the majority of retails sales are now either online or via supermarkets. We need to create a vibrant town centre that more people visit and enjoy whether this be by car, cycle, walk or public transport.

Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity to deliver real improvements to Mexborough town centre. Improving road safety and access in to the town centre whilst also regenerating the high street to support local businesses.

“Following early consultation feedback and discussions with Mexborough ward councillors we have agreed to investigate the congestion issues caused on Doncaster Road and a further trial of Greens Way being reduced to a single carriageway through the central section.

“I encourage all Mexborough residents, businesses and visitors to complete the consultation. The feedback provided will help us shape the schemes to ensure they are supported by the majority.”

CDC are listening to the concerns raised by members of the public via the consultation and the ward councillors at the recent drop in events, particularly regarding concerns over congestion caused by Doncaster Road. Therefore, pending the closure of consultation and the assessment of all feedback from a range of respondents and stakeholders, we are seeking to undertake modelling and investigate the congestion issues caused on Doncaster Road and for this to be included within the scheme programme for the Mexborough works.

Extensive road traffic modelling has been carried out that supports the realignment of Greens Way to a single carriageway, but following initial feedback, we will carry out a further trial of Greens Way being reduced to a single carriageway through the central section, before finalising the CRSTS scheme proposals. Further details of this trial will be released in the coming weeks.

Notes

City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) – specific criteria includes that the funding is for local transport and needs to contribute to cutting carbon emissions by supporting a modal shift from cars to public transport and Active Travel as per the 2021 UK Government Transport Decarbonisation Plan. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-decarbonisation-plan

In which one of its key headlines is: “We will deliver the Prime Minister’s bold vision for cycling and walking investing £2 billion over five years with the aim that half of all journeys in towns and cities will be cycled or walked by 2030”

Also quoted in the UK government Decarbonisation Plan – “Millions more people are walking and cycling following COVID-19, and progress has already been made towards our target that active travel should make up at least half of all journeys in towns and cities by 2030.”

“These settlements could be used to develop mass transit networks and sustainable transport options, open up new areas of the region for employment, leisure and housing, and create real innovation in transport to solve problems.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/city-region-sustainable-transport-settlements-developing-proposals/city-region-sustainable-transport-settlements-guidance-for-mayoral-combined-authorities