Compulsory purchase powers sought for major roundabout overhaul

Compulsory purchase powers could be used to obtain land for a major redesign of Stairfoot roundabout aimed at reducing congestion and improving journey times.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council could use compulsory purchase powers to obtain land needed for a major redesign of one of the borough’s busiest roundabouts.

Cabinet members are expected to be asked on September 9 to support the use of the powers for the A635/A633 Stairfoot Improvement Scheme.

The decision would allow the council to pursue the compulsory acquisition of land required to deliver the project, although details of the affected plots have not yet been published.

The scheme would enlarge Stairfoot roundabout to provide three continuous traffic lanes and increase capacity on several of its approaches.

Plans include straightening the approach from Wombwell Lane and Bleachcroft Way and widening the Grange Lane entry and exit.

Existing bus lanes on Doncaster Road and Bleachcroft Way would be converted into general traffic lanes, with a bus lay-by provided on Bleachcroft Way.

The project would also replace the existing Trans Pennine Trail bridge over Grange Lane, widen footways and improve crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.

Traffic signals would be upgraded to help manage congestion and improve bus journeys.

The council says the project is intended to reduce delays and vehicle idling while supporting future housing and employment growth.

Its final design was published in March following a public consultation held in January 2024.

Residents had raised concerns about congestion, pollution and the effect of new housing and industrial developments on the surrounding road network.

The council said it had responded by redesigning the junction approaches, improving walking and cycling routes and including landscaping in the scheme.

The project is being funded through Barnsley’s allocation from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, with support from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

The council’s transport-projects webpage currently says construction is expected to begin in late summer 2026.

The cabinet report is expected to identify the land required, the progress of negotiations with owners and whether the acquisition process will affect the construction timetable.

A compulsory purchase order allows a public body to acquire property or land without the owner’s agreement where it can demonstrate that this is necessary and in the public interest. Owners are normally entitled to compensation and can object to the order.