A PLANNING obligation which ensured a housing developer would pay a five-figure sum to improve road safety near its 325-home estate has sparked fury - after the cash was instead funnelled into ‘active travel’ schemes.
A legal agreement between Harworth Estates, who built the huge estate on the former North Gawber Colliery in 2015, required the developer to pay Barnsley Council cash to go towards improvement works on Swallow Hill Road.
Residents raised concerns about Swallow Hill Road, which is close to the entrance of the development on Carr Green Lane, during the public consultation phase.
A sum of £77,580 was ring-fenced, the Chronicle understands, but it was confirmed at last Thursday’s full council meeting that it was used elsewhere.
The road, which narrows to a single track, was branded ‘dangerous’ by some residents during the planning process, and they raised concerns about additional traffic from the residents of the new homes using the road.
Coun Steve Hunt, who represents the Darton East ward, asked the council why the scheme was no longer on the table - and said the road had ‘significantly deteriorated’ since the new estate was built as residents suggested prior to planning consent being awarded.
He told the Chronicle: “This sum was agreed through Section 106, which sees developers put cash aside for local losses of amenity caused by house-building.
“Things like extra school places, green space improvements or boosting local road networks - as was agreed in this situation - are regular things which are insisted on by the planning board.
“It is unacceptable that the amount was agreed and paid, but the council then decided to ignore Swallow Hill Road and spend the money elsewhere.
“Residents’ views were listened to, hence why the road was agreed and the sum was paid, so it’s a shame that this was then ignored.
“Swallow Hill Road’s problems remain and have in fact got worse since the housing estate’s completion, which is exactly what residents warned about at the time.”
Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet member for environment and highways, confirmed that the money had been received from Harworth Estates but was to be used to fund active travel schemes in the ward instead.
“Delivering meaningful improvement works to Swallow Hill Road would cost far in excess of the Section 106 contribution and there are no identified funding pots to complete the work,” he added.
“I can confirm, however, that the Section 106 monies have been transferred into delivering further active travel improvements within the Darton East ward.”
