M18: ‘Improvements required’ to motorway junction set to serve Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Plans are being drawn up to upgrade the M18 motorway junction set to serve Doncaster Sheffield Airport and over 1,000 homes in Gateway East.
It comes after National Highways temporarily blocked outline planning permission for a 350 home development in Auckley, Doncaster, amid concerns the nearby J3 of the M18 was not suitable for the additional demand.
National Highways issued a holding recommendation to the City of Doncaster Council – which suggests they do not make a decision on planning permission for a set time period.
The organisation submitted that it felt the applicant had underestimated the number of journeys which would be taken during peak commuting times and the applicants “should reassess”, amongst other issues.
A spokesperson from Doncaster Council said: “There has been significant housing and business growth in recent years around J3 of the M18, principally the Great Yorkshire Way, Iport and New Rossington. It is now at a point where capacity and traffic flow improvements are required in order to meet the predicted future demands of the junction, specifically around supporting the growth and prosperity of a reopened Doncaster Sheffield Airport and GatewayEast.
“We are working with National Highways and the Department for Transport to design a scheme that would meet the expected future traffic demands. This will likely be in the form of a new gyratory.”
Sources have told the LDRS the rebuild could potentially cost around £80million.
A spokesperson for National Highways said:“We remain in discussions with the local council while the planning process continues. We have asked for further information relating to the planning application in question which will form any assessments required.”
J3 of the M18 is close to a number of communities including Rossington, Finningley and Bessacarr, but would also be the junction to serve the reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the thousands of homes and businesses expected to arrive with the Gateway East development.
Councillors Jane and Steve Cox and Symeon Waller, who represent Finningley ward, have said the junction is already “unsafe”.
They told the LDRS in a statement: “It is shocking that the problems on this junction have not already been addressed. Many local residents have raised concerns about the safety at peak times.
“The local plan has been implemented for several years and almost all the recent and future development is in there. This is an example of the Mayor not future proofing our city. Unless this is addressed National Highways will stop all the future developments around the airport.”
The Doncaster Council spokesperson said improving capacity on the junction is a “priority scheme” for the authority, adding it “will bid for the required funding” where it can.
“We await to see the criteria of the recently confirmed £1.5bn Government funding for South Yorkshire transport schemes, and the 10-year Infrastructure Strategy which we expect to be published within days,” the spokesperson said.