Mayor Dan Jarvis commits to Doncaster Sheffield Airport station, Hickleton bypass and tram-train but new HS2 station is 'nail in coffin for Mexborough'

A new transport plan shows Doncaster could soon have tram-train services, a station at Doncaster Sheffield Airport and a road new bypass but a proposal for a new HS2 station in Barnsley puts ‘another nail in the coffin’ for Mexborough, a councillor has said.

A report released by the Sheffield City Region and approved by all four South Yorkshire councils along with the Department for Transport, outline planned transport improvements across the region over the next 15 years.

All parties have agreed to a HS2 station east of Goldthorpe in Barnsley which transport chiefs say is cheaper than the previous M18 Parkway station idea.

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The villages of Hickleton and Marr will also finally see a 30-odd year wait for a bypass first mooted in the 1980s.

The Doncaster stretch on the A635 from Barnsley is in one of the worst areas of air pollution in the country with a large proportion of HGVs hurtling through the two villages on a narrow one-lane carriageway.

Wider rail improvements could result in faster and/or more frequent services to London, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Hull and Lincoln

A new railway station at Askern and another in the south of the borough is also in the plan but the location has not been confirmed.

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Station improvements at Adwick, Bentley, Conisbrough, Kirk Sandall, Hatfield & Stainforth, Mexborough and Thorne have also been drawn up.

The transport plan also has the backing of Transport for the North (TfN) and HS2 Ltd.

But Mexborough First Coun Sean Gibbons reacted angrily at the plans which all but confirms the demolition of the Shimmer estate due to HS2. He also said that the Labour party ‘will lose Mexborough for a generation’.

Previous figures have shown that the town is the most affected by HS2 demolitions.

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He said: “I’d like to say I’m surprised but nothing with HS2 surprises me anymore.

“The whole thing is a farce and no one has worked with us to find a solution. This is just another nail in the coffin for Mexborough.

When asked about possible tram-train expansion to Mexborough, he added: “This will be a fantastic transport development for Mexborough.

“People can come from far and wide to visit the new HS2 attractions and observe the demolition of the newly built Shimmer Estate brick by brick as Mexborough is decimated by HS2.”

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Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones said: “Doncaster is a historic railway town and rail connectivity remains central to our economic, social and environmental ambitions.

“We already have an excellent network of railway lines, but some services need enhancing and many of our local stations are desperately in need of improvement.

“This ambitious plan sets out a strong vision for rail services in our region, which will bring new investment right across Doncaster.”

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: ”This is a landmark moment for our region. For the first time, Government, regional partners and our local authorities have come together to back a vision for the future of our rail services, creating a Plan that will revolutionise rail travel for our communities.

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"A new station in the Dearne Valley, on the Northern Powerhouse Rail network, will offer potentially transformational regeneration opportunities for that area. I look forward to working with the Department for Transport to ensure that sits alongside essential investment in the surrounding road network, especially at the pinch point around Hickleton and Marr.”