Hundreds of potholes must be filled in Doncaster's roads for Tour de Yorkshire

Hundreds of potholes have been put on a list to be filled across Doncaster to bring the roads up to standard for the Tour de Yorkshire later this year.
Mick Glynn, pictured by a Pot Hole on Hatfield High Street. Picture: Marie Caley Pot Holes MC 3Mick Glynn, pictured by a Pot Hole on Hatfield High Street. Picture: Marie Caley Pot Holes MC 3
Mick Glynn, pictured by a Pot Hole on Hatfield High Street. Picture: Marie Caley Pot Holes MC 3

The borough is set to hold sections of the high profile county-wide cycle race on May 3 and May 4, including one of the finishes.

And it has emerged that Doncaster Council has a list of road repairs which it will push through before the race starts to fix roads across the borough. Its includes the complete re-surfacing of at least one section of road. The authority refused to disclose the list, but confirmed it ran into hundreds.

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The programme of works will speed up a number of road repair projects - but it has also prompted criticism that it has taken a road race for the work to happen.

The route of the race will enter Doncaster on May 3, coming in along Oak Road, at Went Bridge in the north of the borough.

It then takes in Pincheon Green, and heads into Fosterhouses, along Hushells Lane and Pinfold Lane and into Fishlake, From there it takes Fishlake Nab into Stainforth, where it runs through Church Road and Station Road, and then the A18 through Hatfield.

It turns off onto the A164, Stone Hill, into Hatfield Woodhouse and along Bawtry Road into Blaxton, along Mosham Road into Auckley, and down Hurst Lane, Great Yorkshire Way and then comies into Doncaster along Bawtry Road. It then passes the racecourse and finishes the day's racing where Bennetthorpe joins South Parade.

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Stage Two, on May 4, between Barnsley and Illkey, also passes through Doncaster. entering Conisbrough on the A630, passing the castle and then heading into Mexborough, Adwick on Dearne, Barnburgh, and Hooton Pagnell, before leaving the borough through South Elmsall.

Assistant director of environment, Gill Gillies, said: “Race organisers Welcome to Yorkshire have done a full survey of the Tour de Yorkshire route, and let each host authority know of any surfacing works that are needed before the event can take place.

"A small amount of work will take place in Hatfield, including making sure that a couple of potholes are filled in, while we have also taken the decision to resurface part of the High Street before the Tour de Yorkshire visits Hatfield.”

“In addition to our routine repairs to the Highway network, we’ll be carrying out a number of minor works across Doncaster in preparation for the Tour de Yorkshire in May. This will include filling in potholes and other small pieces of work to get ready for this international event.”

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But there has been criticism of the plan for bringing in repairs to meet the needs of the race.

Mick Glynn, a town councillor in Hatfield, said he had campaigned for years for road and footpath upgrades in and around Hatfield Ward, and it had appeared as an agenda item at Hatfield Town Council.

He said: "I personally feel disgusted that major road repairs could be carried out by Doncaster purely to accommodate the Tour de Yorkshire. Iit’s a shame that ordinary local residents have had to use sub-standard road surfaces for at least 20 years. In Hatfield, we have some of the worst maintained roads in South Yorkshire, yet Doncaster are proposing major road improvements for what is a one day event that will appeal to a minority of the public.

"All law abiding motorists once a year have to present their vehicles to a designated MOT station so that their car can be passed as roadworthy, it might be an idea for the council to check their roads once a year, to make sure they are vehicle worthy?"