Hickleton bypass could be funded by Network North as A635 weight restriction plans scrapped

On Thursday (18 January) cabinet member for Highways Joe Blackham revealed to the full council that a motion to place a Traffic Restriction Order (TRO) on the A635 in Hickleton has been scrapped.

The council will instead pursue funding from the government’s Network North scheme to build a bypass in the area, stating it is in a “good position” to secure the bid.

Councillor Glenn Bluff had proposed the original motion for a TRO to prevent Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) from using the road following a series of accidents.

Coun Blackham however shared that consultees South Yorkshire Police and National Highways had been unwilling to support the motion.

Following initial consultations with the Department for Transport, the council will instead bid for funding to build a nearby bypass to ease traffic on the road.

Residents of Hickleton and Marr have campaigned alongside local councillors for the bypass for several years.

The council aims to secure funding from the Network North scheme, which was announced in October in place of the scrapped northern leg of HS2.

When the scheme was launched, the bypass was mentioned as one of several potential projects for South Yorkshire.

Coun Blackham went on to urge members not to pursue a TRO on the road in light of the announcement, stating that it would be “detrimental” to the bid for a bypass.