Mass anger after council take parking spaces away from residents on Doncaster estate

Section 106 money from a developer building a care home on green spaces off Goodison Boulevard in Cantley, will be used for a footpath outside the build boundary instead of permanent vehicles spaces where nearby residents park their cars.

Councillor Steve Cox, representative for the area, said the council had not consulted residents or ward members on what the money should be spent on.

He said the move would leave people increasingly isolated and that the council had ‘completely ignored’ all concerned parties.

A contentious planning application to build an 83-bed care home on green space off the Goodison Boulevard was granted despite mass objections last year.

An original plan was passed in 2017 for 75 rooms but the developer came back in 2019 to apply to add a further eight rooms. Councillors voted five to two in favour.

Residents currently park their cars close to the boundary of the site at the back of their houses but the council is ordering people to cease parking their vehicles on the strip of land which isn’t part of the development.

Coun Cox said the contents of what the Section 106 money is spent on is usually decided by ward representatives but this did not happen, he said.

“We’re really disappointed the way DMBC has treated residents on the estate - there has been no consultation on over the development and loss of parking.

“The residents feel some elderly and very vulnerable will be more socially isolated because of this by keeping them away from their vehicles as a means of them getting about.

“The use of Section 106 money should be consulted with ward councillors and it hasn;t been - we were told by strategic housing what it was going to be used for since day one, we went through a calling process and it was decided by the chair that the 106 money should be used but the council completely ignored that.”

“Residents are absolutely disgusted by this move - the council are basically using this money to landscape it for a private developer. It’s going to cost more to maintain the footpath and what comes with it more than parking spaces which people actually want.

“I’m at a loss at how we’ve come to this point, it’s shocking what’s gone on.”

Karen Lythe, assistant director of strategic housing, said: “We understand that the local members and residents are disappointed that it has not been possible to provide any additional car parking spaces as part of this scheme.

“The landscaping works were a condition of the planning approval, so they must be carried out.

“The commuted sum was very small and sufficient only to pay for the essential landscaping, and although officers have tried to establish if there were options for the provision of a few car parking spaces, no options were identified due to planning issues and the lack of any available funding for the work.”

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