Plans to improve walking and cycling routes around Stocksbridge could take another step forward, with funding proposed for a new masterplan at More Hall Tips, improved trail signage and work to explore a safer crossing between Underbank Lane and Manchester Road.

Sheffield City Council’s Finance and Performance Policy Committee will be asked to approve an additional £66,700 allocation from the Stocksbridge Towns Fund as part of its latest Capital Approvals report.

The funding forms part of the Stocksbridge Towns Fund Active Travel Trails scheme, which aims to improve walking and cycling connections between Stocksbridge, Oughtibridge and the surrounding countryside.

If approved, the wider package of work will include:

• £50,000 for More Hall Tips, provided as a grant to the Upper Don Trails Trust to develop a masterplan for the site that will look at the restoration of the site, a missing trail connection and opportunities for biodiversity and leisure improvements. 
• £30,000 for better wayfinding and signage, including new fingerposts and information boards to make the Upper Don Valley Trail and connecting routes easier to find and follow.
• £20,000 to explore a safer crossing at Underbank Lane and Manchester Road, funding design and feasibility work to consider the options available at the location.

The three areas of work represent £100,000 of further activity. This includes the additional £66,700 capital allocation now being considered alongside remaining funding from the project's previous budget.

Following earlier feasibility work on extending the trail and examining connections to Underbank Reservoir, the latest proposals will see remaining funding focused on a defined package of masterplanning, wayfinding and crossing feasibility work that builds on surveys and design work already completed.

More Hall Tips are a 42 hectare site comprising former slag heaps and quarries adjoining the former Steins Brickworks that have recently been developed for housing between Oughtibridge and Deepcar. This new masterplan will explore how the site could support improved walking and cycling links as well as potential new woodland and wetland habitats, biodiversity improvements and better management of surface water.

Marie Tidball MP, Co-chair of the Stocksbridge Towns Fund Board and representative for the project, said:

“Stocksbridge and the wider Upper Don Valley are the gateway to the Peak District, and we have some beautiful countryside right on our doorstep. I want it to become easier for local people and visitors to enjoy it.

“This funding would allow us to take the next steps on three important pieces of work: looking at the future potential of More Hall Tips, making the Upper Don Trail easier to find and follow, and examining how the crossing at Underbank Lane and Manchester Road could be made safer for people on foot.

“Together, these projects can help our communities build better connections between Stocksbridge, Oughtibridge and the surrounding countryside.

“I'm grateful to the Upper Don Trails Trust and everyone locally who has helped shape this work."