Doncaster link road scheme delayed due to sustained heavy rainfall

A key stage of a massive Doncaster regeneration project with new homes, highways, businesses and schools has been delayed due to the aftermath of sustained rainfall.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

An anchor phase of the DN7 Unity project, which encompasses building the 2.9 kilometre access road between junction 5 of the M18 to Waggons Way in Stainforth, has been pushed back due to ground saturation from intense rainfall in November 2019 which led to flooding in large parts of the borough.

Council leaders on the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority agreed to reprofile around £750,000 of money to 2021 and accept a revised works completion from August to December 2020.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The SCR approved £11.5 million towards the access road out of a total of £18.7 million.

Dn7 Unity ProjectDn7 Unity Project
Dn7 Unity Project

DN7 bosses reported that ‘sustained rainfall’ in October and November had negatively impacted on the project but at the time was considered ‘manageable’ as the site didn’t suffer from direct flooding.

But construction chiefs subsequently confirmed the land had been saturated and was ‘not drying out as quickly as anticipated’.

Earthworks can’t continue until the land dries out and the fill material for the site was also said to be saturated and unsuitable for use. Inadequate drainage capacity on site was also identified.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The wider scheme, which includes 3,100 new homes, a marina, shops, parks, schools, a GP surgery and business space, was originally supposed to start in 2017.

But the project was delayed due to ‘non-engineering issues’ such as a deadlock between Network Rail and developer Waystone over the construction of a new road bridge over the Doncaster-Scunthorpe rail line.

The scheme is expected to create 7,000 jobs and trigger ‘potential long-term investment’ of £800 million. The whole project is expected to take up to 25 years.

Ruth Adams, deputy managing director at Sheffield City Region said none of the changes were down to overspending.

“The request from DN7 is due to a delay because of ground saturation following the flooding, is to reprofile £751,800 and to extend the delivery window by four months,” she said.

Related topics: