We are aware that a timescale has recently closed on a petition which was circulating earlier this year from the Upper Don Trail Trust and that it may be presented to the Strategy and Resources Committee. We completely understand the Council’s position in taking all views on board and acting in an impartial and transparent way. However, in the interest of balance and context it would seem timely to re-state the Board’s position which has been robust and consistent on this issue from the outset.
The Upper Don Trail was one of the original ten projects in our bid which was to potentially receive funding through the Town Deal, as was a project to re-establish a sixth-form college and develop a funicular to link between an area of car parking and the town centre. The Board needed to go through a period of validating (with Sheffield City Council and the Government) whether these potential projects were the best investments to deliver on its objectives and whether they were feasible. This requirement, and the extraordinary inflationary pressures that have occurred, meant in 2022 a review of some projects against this vastly changed landscape was required. As you know, money from 2019 does not buy 2024 products and outcomes.
The Trails Project was reviewed following concerns about costs as well as the deliverability and timescales of the wider Upper Don Trail vision. Following our review the decision was made not to fund the Upper Don Trail, but to deliver the trails output and outcome in a different way and in partnership with Yorkshire Water, who have also committed to provide match-funding. This project will improve footpaths, access, and activities at Underbank Reservoir and will be delivered in our second phase.
Clearly this was disappointing news for the Upper Don Trail Trust, and we do understand this was a setback for them.
As a Board however, we are tasked to look at the bigger picture and deliver the best outcome for the town, against the background of the need to drive the sustainable economic regeneration of Stocksbridge and deliver long term benefits and growth.
We must separate the “nice to haves” in our projects from those that are key to delivering the core principles of our Bid. Delivering a new high street, a state-of-the-art education and employment facility, and bus services is our priority. Our consultation with local residents and businesses told us from the outset that investing in our town centre must be the clear priority – the Board has always been, and remains, unanimous in its support of putting the town centre first.
We have met with members of the Upper Don Trail Trust and explained our reasons, we applaud their determination and tenacity, but we simply cannot fund this project at the expense of the priorities that we have had to weigh in the face of rising costs.
Quite simply our funding will not deliver what it would have done when concepts were first suggested to the people of Stocksbridge for investment. Colleagues delivering Town Deal projects across the UK have had to make similarly difficult decisions and of course the Council itself has faced the same challenges with other major project it is seeking to deliver within the city.
We have now received Expressions of Interest from contractors to deliver our first town centre project and will soon be announcing the operator who will run the much needed Hopper Bus service for our communities in Stocksbridge and Deepcar. Our Oxley Park Project will be completed this summer – bringing new footpaths and an all wheel’s park to our community.
In putting our town centre first, we have been faced by a concerted campaign from an interest group who wish to see a decision change, which is why this petition is before the Council. There has been misinformation and inaccuracies at public meetings and in the local press.
We attend many community groups and meetings, our Board is made up of local traders, volunteers, and residents – the one issue our community constantly tells us to “get on with” are the much needed improvements to our town centre.
We remain confident that putting the town centre investment first and delivering real change in Stocksbridge is the right decision. We look forward to our continued collaborative approach with Sheffield City Council to deliver for the town.
Yours Sincerely
Miriam Cates and Yuri Matischen
Co-Chairs, On behalf of the Stocksbridge Town Deal Board
The Stocksbridge Town Deal Board has selected its preferred bidder to deliver a brand new hopper bus service for local communities across Stocksbridge and Deepcar.
South Pennine Community Transport has been chosen as the preferred delivery partner for the project – enabling the Town Deal Board to work up the detail of the service’s route for this to be registered so the buses can be on the road in the next few months.
The expressions of interest to run the service were received earlier in May, and following the evaluation process South Pennine Community Transport was selected as the preferred partner.
The proposal outlines establishing two new circular services, one covering Deepcar and Bolsterstone and the other covering Stocksbridge, these would interchange with the number 26 which currently operates along with other existing services.
The plan is for the buses to run every twenty minutes from Monday through to Saturday, they will be low floor accessible and demand responsive, meaning they have the ability to divert off their route to drop off or collect passengers.
The local hopper bus service is a key project in the £24.1m investment for Stocksbridge and will hugely improve access for residents to services, shops and facilities in the town as well as linking with the wider transport network.
The Board has consulted widely with local residents about routes they would like to see covered and that information will help to shape the new service. It is hoped it will be operating by the end of the summer into early autumn.
Co-chair of the Stocksbridge Town Deal Board and Project Champion for the Hopper Bus Project, Miriam Cates MP, said: “This is a really important project for the local community and we are delighted to have a fantastic partner to deliver the Board’s vision for what a good local service can provide for our communities.
“Residents will be able to use their bus passes and benefit from the concessionary fares scheme, and we’ll have a service which is accessible and demand responsive. We can’t wait to see these buses on the road making a real difference to improving connectivity in the Stocksbridge and Deepcar area. “
The Town Deal team will be working with South Pennine Community Transport on the timetable and timescales for the new service and further details will be announced in the coming weeks.
To find out more about the hopper bus project visit the project page on the website Buses for Stocksbridge (welcometostocksbridge.co.uk)
Photograph shows Miriam Cates MP, Co-Chair of the Stocksbridge Town Deal Board and Board Champion for the Hopper Bus Project with Steve Whitehouse, one of the drivers from South Pennine Community Transport.
Work has started this week on the new all-wheels park in Stocksbridge – part of the Town Deal investment to deliver major improvements at Oxley Park.
Members of the Stocksbridge Town Deal Board joined Friends of Oxley Park and the project contractors to cut the soil and mark the start of construction, the work is scheduled for completion in August.
New footpaths and landscaping have already been completed at Oxley Park – linking different parts of the popular park as well as creating better links with the Community Leisure Centre.
EV chargers are also being installed at the Leisure Centre, and a new children’s play area was completed two years ago through the Town Deal accelerated funding project.
The week the contractors Horticon started work on the area which is being transformed into a new all wheels park, working alongside the skatepark specialists Canvas to deliver this final piece of work in the Oxley Park Improvement Project.
Members of the Town Deal Board have worked closely with the Friends of Oxley Park as well as Sheffield City Council’s Parks and Countryside team on the plans.
The all wheels park has been designed to be accessible for all ages and abilities – it will be suitable for bikes and scooters as well as for skateboarding, wheelchair motocross (WCMX) and roller booters.
The current skatepark’s large structures are being replaced with sustainable construction methods using concrete coloured in grey and green. Landscaped areas with trees and wildflowers have also been designed - enhancing biodiversity and creating an attractive area for local residents and park users.
Co-Chair of the Stocksbridge Town Deal Board, Miriam Cates MP, said: “The Town Deal investment has been really transformational for Oxley Park, we have a fantastic new children’s play area, improvements around the Leisure Centre and new footpaths and landscaping. The new all wheels park is the final piece of the project and its been a real collaboration with the local community. We can’t wait to see it completed in the summer.”
Cllr Julie Grocutt, Board Champion for the Oxley Park Improvement Project, said: “We’re so pleased that the Town Deal investment is making real and sustainable enhancements to our wonderful Oxley Park. Everyone has worked together on this project to deliver something really special for the town.”
Victoria Faulkner, from the Friends of Oxley Park added: “We’re excited to see work get started on a project that we feel very fortunate to have the funding for in our community.
“We want this to be a great community resource and will be working on coaching and engagement sessions once the all wheels park is open later in the year – so watch this space!”
This latest phase of investment is funded through the Stocksbridge Town Deal, and includes some local fundraising by the Friends of Oxley Park.
The Stocksbridge Town Deal is also delivering the major regeneration of the town centre, including Stocksbridge 519 (a new Community Hub and Library), major placemaking improvements and new investment in upgraded shop fronts in the precinct area.
To keep up to date with news about the Stocksbridge Town Deal projects visit www.welcometostocksbridge.co.uk
About Town Deals: The Town Deals programme aims to regenerate towns and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth. This is through investments in urban regeneration, digital and physical connectivity, skills, heritage, and enterprise infrastructure. As of July 2021, DLUHC have offered Town Deals to all 101 places that submitted proposals, committing over £2.35bn of investment across around 700 projects nationwide.
About the Stocksbridge Town Deal: A Town Investment Plan for Stocksbridge was submitted to the Government in January 2021. The chosen projects were selected by the board guided by the key priorities and potential outputs set by the funding guidelines along with the communities’ priorities and concerns highlighted through local consultation.
One of the key Stocksbridge Town Deal projects will take another step forward this month after calls for for "expressions of interest" from local operators to run a brand new community hopper bus service in the town.
The Stocksbridge Town Deal Board put a call out last month to local transport operators who would be interested in running the new grant funded hopper bus service for the local community.
Members of the Town Deal Board want to see the local service up and running as soon as possible - benefiting the community and improving access for residents to services, shops, and facilities in the town, as well as linking with the wider transport network.
The project is being funded through a capital grant from the Stocksbridge Town Deal. Expressions of Interest have been sought from operators who can deliver the Board’s aspirations through an injection of grant funding which will support the new hopper buses.
It is hoped that the successful transport partner will be in a position to launch the new local service by the summer.
Co-chair of the Stocksbridge Towns Fund Board, Miriam Cates MP, said: “A new local bus service connecting different parts of Stocksbridge is key to our Town Deal plans and something that we know that residents are very keen to see for the town.
“The new hopper buses are going to make a huge difference to so many people in the town and we are really looking forward to getting this important service on the road.”
The Town Deal team has worked closely with colleagues from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to ensure that passengers can benefit from the concessionary fare scheme when they use the new service.
The new hopper bus service is one of the projects being delivered through the Town Deal investment in Stocksbridge. Local engagement has demonstrated a high level of support for the project with local residents identifying the areas in the town where they would like to see the service operate.
To find out more about the hopper bus project visit the project page on the website Buses for Stocksbridge (welcometostocksbridge.co.uk)
Photograph shows Miriam Cates MP, Co-Chair of the Stocksbridge Towns Fund Board and Board Champion for the Hopper Bus Project.
Plans for the brand new landmark building which will anchor the regeneration of Stocksbridge town centre have been given the go ahead.
With a working title of Stocksbridge 519 the striking new building will be home to a state of the art new library as well as community space, a learning hub and managed workspace for new and growing businesses.
The plans have been approved by Sheffield City Council. The development is part of the Town Deal investment in Stocksbridge which is focused on town centre improvements and investment.
The award winning South Yorkshire architects CODA Studios have worked with the Town Deal Board, Sheffield City Council and Rider Levett Bucknall on the design of the new building on a site partly occupied by the current library building.
Planning applications will be submitted later in the year for shop front improvements and further investment in public realm and paving – including plans for a new town square.
The 519 development will bring new jobs, skills and opportunities to the heart of the town, it has been designed over three floors covering 25,134 sq. ft. and will house:
The striking building design has taken inspiration from the local industrial architecture, as well as the more modern buildings of the neighbouring successful Fox Valley development.
The wider town centre plans also include an attractive new Town Square and car parking as well as major improvements to the currently rundown precinct area with new shopfronts and paving.
Stocksbridge 519 has also been designed to house photovoltaic panels as well as rain gardens for stormwater run-off and a blue roof system which temporarily stores excess storm water.