Doncaster Council accepts £1.2m for upgrades to Trans Pennine Trail in Sprotbrough - after phase one success
Phase one of Doncaster’s Trans Pennine Trail investment is said to have seen a significant boost to usage.
The City of Doncaster Council will improve surfacing and provide two new seatings areas as part of accessibility improvements to more than three kilometres of the Trans Pennine Trail through the borough.
Some £1.2million in funding will be invested into the route, providing “walking, wheeling and cycling improvements along the Trans Pennine Trail between Melton Road and the Boat Inn” in Sprotbrough, Councillor Glyn Jones, the deputy mayor of Doncaster, told cabinet.
The funding will be provided to the council from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) – introduced by the Conservative Government in 2021.
According to agenda papers for the cabinet meeting on June 17, 2026, users of the trail currently “experience accessibility issues due to poor surfacing conditions along the riverside following frequent flood events”.
Alongside poor surfacing conditions, “sections of the trail alongside the river have started to erode away”, the papers say.
Councillor Glyn Jones, who is also the cabinet member for environment and housing, said that alongside the accessibility improvements, “the proposals also ensure that the route is protected from future erosion along the riverside”.
He said: “In 2021, City of Doncaster Council, alongside the Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Trust conducted a borough wide consultation on the existing condition of the Trans Pennine Trail which identified the section between Melton Road and the Boat Inn, most in need of upgrades due to poor surfacing conditions.
“Following phase one of the project which opened in June 2024, Automatic Pedestrian and Cycle count data has indicated a growing trend in usage, especially over winter months where usual seasonal trends in levels of walking and cycling can occur.
“The implementation of these improvements saw an increase in pedestrian usage from roughly 3,900 in January 2024 pre-installation, to over 13,000 in January 2026 post-installation, an increase well in excess of 200 per cent. Similarly, cycle usage increased from 296 users in January 2024 pre-installation, to 839 in January 2026 post-installation, a rise of 182 per cent.”
Members of Mayor Ros Jones’ cabinet approved the £1.2million scheme during a meeting on June 17, 2026.