Cash windfall coming to Dearne community as council accepts offer for land

The plot at Brampton Bierlow is owned by the parish council and was acquired many years ago to create an allotments complex.

However, the site is on the former Cortonwood Colliery and tests at the time revealed the land was contaminated from industrial use, rendering it unusable for growing food.

Since then the site, off an access called Milking Lane, which no longer appears on maps, has not been used, and has become overgrown.

The parish council lacks the funds to develop the land, and after being approached by a developer, decided to sell.

Councillors have agreed to progress with a sale at £85,000 and decisions about how to use that cash will be made later.

Chairwoman Cllr Helen Armitage said the aim was to use at least some of the cash on a project which would benefit the whole community.

It is expected a public meeting will be held for residents to put forwards ideas for how the cash can be used.

The windfall means that the council can also replace money it has been forced to spend on the parish hall, which has had serious issues with blocked drains due to the growth of roots from nearby trees.

That led to flooding and the need for drainage pipes onto Knollbeck Lane to be replace, depleting their savings.

Cllr Armitage said: “The land was originally earmarked, even before the pit was blown up, for use as allotments.

“There were tests done and it was not satisfactory,” she said.

Nearby colliery land was bought and developed as the Cortonwood retail park, leaving the council’s plot and a further expanse of land, isolated.

The council owned site can be accessed from a path on Whinmoor Crescent or what used to be Milking Lane, off Westfield Road.

“We were approached about it earlier this year,” she said, “We have always known it would cost too much to develop the land ourselves.

“We had agreed to sell the land, if the opportunity came up. We decided to accept £85,000 and when it goes through will hold a public meeting so parishioners can have their say of what we do with the money.”