The overall cost of a contentious road scheme in Doncaster has doubled to more than £320M, the regional transport board admitted this week, as it gave the plan the go ahead.
The decision has caused anger among councils across Yorkshire and Humber, whose schemes have been put on the ‘reserve’ list and not given priority.
The concern centres on the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS), which will see new roads built both in Finningley, where Doncaster Robin Hood Airport is sited, and adjoining Rossington, which is still being touted by the Government as a potential new eco town.
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and the Yorkshire and Humber regional transport board claim only half of the £160M cost of this project will come from regional allocation, with the other £80M being met by Doncaster MBC, the regional development agency and the developers.
But then it was discovered that linking FARRRS to the M18 would mean improvements had to be made to the motorway which would eventually cost a total of £162M, which had to be found from the regional allocation, with an initial £10M and a further £40M in 2018/19, and the balance of £122M through later RFA rounds.
Critics claim the overall scheme is aimed at improving connections to Robin Hood Airport and there is no guarantee the airport or the developers will contribute.
Bradford Councillor Chris Greaves, who is also chairman of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority, said: ‘We have all been squabbling for funding because there is an inadequate amount of money coming to the region, and we have this pie-in-the-sky scheme to improve roads around Robin Hood.
‘There is no guarantee the developers will be able to contribute. There are too many ifs and buts.’
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