Pathway to success for South Yorkshires outdoor enthusiasts
Cycle groups, ramblers and riders have been invited to see first hand how they are set to benefit from 25 kilometres of new and restored routes in and around the former Waverley industrial site between Rotherham and Sheffield.
Representatives from walking, cycling and horse riding groups have been invited to attend a presentation at the Advanced Manufacturing Park on Wednesday 21 January.
Sue Anderson and Martin Mee from Harworth Estates (UK COAL’s property arm) and Richard Pett from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), will inform local groups of the site’s footpaths proposals, including plans to link linking neighbouring communities, towns and cities, with an aim to encourage cycling as a transport option for the future.
Details of when the routes will open, outline proposals for developments, broader car parking and disabled access issues and the overall timescale of the site development will also be discussed. The visit will finish with a walk around the site.
Richard Pett, rights of way officer at RMBC, said: “The meeting will describe how the plans, if given planning permission, will provide easy access to Rother Valley Country Park, which lies at the hub of access to the south of Rotherham, with the National Cycle Network, Cuckoo Way, Rotherham Ring Route and the Trans Pennine Trail all linked.
“We will also discuss the plans for a multi-user bridge over the Parkway, which aims to give more access options for residents, as well as a two-kilometre lakeside Easy Going Trail, specifically designed to provide access for people with disabilities.”
Representatives from the Waverley Liaison Group (WLG) will also attend the meeting and feed the information back to their local communities and parish councils. Sue Anderson, director designate for Harworth Estates, said: “The consultation events have found that transport is an ongoing concern with Waverley’s surrounding communities.
“However, the proposals show, and we will clarify to the group, that new and restored mixed use footpaths and extra access to surrounding areas are part of the plans to bring a solution to these transport issues, providing alternative transport options both to work, and for leisure purposes.”
Harworth Estates and Atisreal submitted an outline planning application to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) in August 2008 for a sustainable, high density, mixed use community, including approximately 4,000 houses, community facilities and green areas.
Planning permission has already been granted for the Advanced Manufacturing Park and Highfield Commercial. The residential development forms the third planning application on the 741 acre site.
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