Councillors criticise road safety programme over costs and failed cycle lane plans

A councillor has branded a road safety programme the “worst programme that we’ve ever delivered in Rotherham West”, as another claimed it had delivered no road safety improvements in his ward.

Coun Ian Jones criticised inconsistent advice and rising costs, while Coun Paul Thorp questioned spending on an unsuccessful cycle lane proposal in Sitwell.

They raised their concerns as Rotherham Council’s improving places select commission discussed a review of its local neighbourhood and road safety Scheme programme on October 20.

Coun Jones said a speed ramp scheme initially estimated at around £40,000 eventually cost £80,000, taking up what he described as 90 per cent of his ward’s allocation.

He criticised the programme’s first phase, citing inconsistencies in advice given by officers across the borough.

Coun Jones said councillors had been told a proposed one-way system on Psalters Lane in Kimberworth could not proceed because the funding required a cycle lane.

They were then advised the road was not wide enough to accommodate a single traffic lane and a cycle lane, he said.

However, he claimed a similar arrangement had since been approved in Keppel ward.

He also questioned whether councillors would have prioritised the speed ramps had they known the eventual cost.

“Had we have known that from day one, that scheme possibly wouldn’t have been progressed as quick as it had because we’ve got other priorities around the area,” he said.

Coun Thorp criticised the programme’s results in Sitwell and questioned how residents had been consulted.

“As far as I’m concerned you’ve produced no road safety within the Sitwell Ward at all,” he said.

“You spent hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to develop a cycle lane that didn’t work.”

He urged the council to learn lessons about developing proposals and listening to residents’ views.

The programme was established in 2022-23 to improve roads, safety and neighbourhoods across Rotherham.

The council’s review found the scope of some schemes had not been clearly defined at the outset, with officers’ assumptions not always matching the expectations of councillors and communities.

This led to further design work, consultation and revisions, diverting staff from delivering improvements. Some proposals were developed but could not ultimately go ahead.

Consultation times were also underestimated, particularly for plans attracting significant public interest.

The report does not identify which schemes could not proceed or quantify the financial impact of the changes.

Coun John Williams, cabinet member for transport, jobs and the local economy, told the meeting that “road safety is a major and important priority of the council”.

He said the review had led to “more realistic timetables” for consultations, stronger governance arrangements and improved coordination of resources.

The council says it has introduced clearer agreement on what projects will involve before design work begins, alongside new tracking systems, resource planning and delivery schedules.

The review says many completed schemes were positively received by residents and road users, and the programme’s second phase has benefited from more realistic timescales.