New move could break deadlock over repairs to unadopted Penistone road

Moves have begun to try to break longstanding deadlock over the maintenance of a deteriorating road used to access a council recycling site in Barnsley.
Coun Dave GriffinCoun Dave Griffin
Coun Dave Griffin

The access road to Springvale’s recycling site in Penistone is unadopted – though Barnsley Council has a right of access to use it, along with other businesses with sites alongside, but because it is privately owned, the local authority has no obligation to maintain it.

Potential solutions to the situation were explored some years ago, but discussions about a joint enterprise from users to pay for patch repairs to the surface, which is breaking up on some stretches, ground to a halt.

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The road is owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury Hospital Trust and Coun Dave Griffin, who represents the area, said the trust’s opinion was that those who would benefit from upgrading the road should pay the cost of the work.

Unadopted: The approach to Springvale recycling centreUnadopted: The approach to Springvale recycling centre
Unadopted: The approach to Springvale recycling centre

Although the council has access over the highway, it adopts and maintains roads only which are presented in a good condition. Previously, no agreement had been reached with other users of the road, meaning proposals to split the cost of repairs never moved forwards.

Now Coun Griffin is hoping a fresh attempt to find a shared cost solution may meet with more success.

He believes attitudes may have changed in the intervening years and is now working to try to find a solution which will bring the road up to a better standard in a way which would be acceptable to all those involved.

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He said: “I believe the hospital trust feel it is all of the properties on the street benefitting from the road that should work together to improve the road, rather than the trust.

“I think there have been attempts to try to sort this out but because all parties didn’t agree, it has not been resolved.

“My plan is go back to highways (at Barnsley Council) and ask them how much patching the road would cost, then to go around current businesses to see if they would be willing to make a contribution.

“It is several years since this has been tried. It is a very successful waste transfer site and we need the road to have a good surface for the drivers who use it,” he said.