A request and petition of 1,000 signatures for parking places to be made on Laburnum Parade, Maltby has been turned down by Rotherham Borough Council.
A council spokesman has said that there is “no identified budget for the creation of new off-street parking facilities”.
Laburnum Parade is an extremely busy area with an appalling parking situation as the road is so narrow. Vehicles have to double park and the situation is very dangerous with parking also on all corners. The Parade has on it, a fish and chip shop, a body art shop, card shop, 2 supermarkets and a chemist. There is a constant to and fro of traffic and it’s understandable that the businesses there are losing business – as well as patience – as shoppers go somewhere where it’s easier to park and less dangerous.There’s been numerous bumps and crashes with cars, vans and lorries trying to get in and out and it feels like another area of Maltby waiting for a serious accident to happen.
The large grass area adjacent to the Parade at the moment serves as nothing but a path way from the bus stop as it’s too close to the main road to be used as a play area. In fact it’s enclosed by very busy roads with constant traffic.
Apparently, “In this instance it’s not felt that the construction of new spaces to facilitate parking outside a parade of shops makes a significant contribution to the aims and objectives of the Sheffield City Regional Transport Strategy, to justify the sizeable investment required to provide off street parking ” the council spokesperson says.
In other words, they aren’t interested in an issue that’s at the hub of Maltby community.
This is RMBC land anyway. What’s it got to do with Sheffield Transport ?
Think this is something else that could and should be sorted out by Maltby Town Council.
Maybe if everyone started parking their vehicles on the grass area (and I am not suggesting that they should !) then those who have the money for these important improvements, might think differently.
Anything that is for the benefit and in the interest of Maltby needs to be addressed by MALTBY TOWN COUNCIL.
(Wonder if our MP for Rother Valley Kevin Barron, knows about this ? The Maltby Food Bank at Addison Rd Centre, which he was opening today is just over the road from Laburnum Parade. Did Kev manage to get parked this morning ok ? )
Ref : Gareth Dennison, Rotherham Advertiser
maltbyblogger 
It’s a big issue which needs to be addressed, I live opposite those shops, the road is very busy and it’s not uncommon to see cars just ditched on the grass – some of the ground has been turfed up where cars have drove over it.
I believe the coalition made several “local enterprise partnerships” for ‘city regions’ around the UK, South Yorkshire + parts of Notts/Derbyshire make up Sheffield’s. They are “closely economically dependent” or something along those lines. I think it’s just a way to direct public money away from the rest of South Yorkshire towards Sheffield. If Maltby was in Sheffield you can bet the money would be available for this..
“…no identified budget…In this instance it’s not felt that the construction of new spaces to facilitate parking outside a parade of shops makes a significant contribution to the aims and objectives of the Sheffield City Regional Transport Strategy, to justify the sizeable investment required to provide off street parking ” the council spokesperson says.
I’d suggest that anyone with an interest in getting car parking space at these shops should first find out the name of the council spokesperson who said this, and get confirmation in the first instance that this would be the responsibility of Sheffield City Council’s Regional Transport people. It would also be useful to ask this person who exactly did not “feel that [this issue] makes a significant contribution, and under what authority that person made such an observation/decision. It would also be a good idea to require that someone define “significant contribution” in this context, and/or at least give some relevant examples of what is considered to be a “significant contribution”,
Having secured this information from Rotherham, it would then be necessary to contact Sheffield City Council’s Regional Transport office, and ask them to write with details of how one can action a request for works to be carried out, once such a need has been identified.
As for “no identified budget”, simple answer, identify a budget! RMBC, that would be your job!!
Further to my above post, I don’t think Maltby are even on the the radar. The following is an excerpt from page 41 of the South Yorkshire Local Transport Implementation Plan for 2011 – 2015: ( http://www.syltp.org.uk/documents/LTP3ImplementationPlan.pdf ). Anyone know which of the five “main economic zones” Maltby falls into?
“Advancing Rotherham’s Ambitions
7.37 There are five main economic zones in Rotherham
– the Town Centre and its surrounds,Dinnington in
the south east, Dearne Valley in the north, Waverley
and, on the Rotherham to Sheffield corridor,
the Lower Don Valley in the west. Rotherham’s
transport vision supports ongoing regeneration in
these areas and seeksto “make newand existing
communities and regeneration areas accessible so
that everyone,regardless of whether they have a
car or not, can take part in economic, education,
leisure and social activities”.Our transport vision
also supports the Borough’s Community Plan vision…”
Thanks for the comments and info Julie. Let’s hope someone takes your advice and the initiative to do what you suggest.
Will look into the “main economic zones” when I get the chance but I have a feeling you are perfectly right … not even on the radar.
The Borough’s Community Plan “vision” sounds interesting too. Think we can do without “visions” – we already know that many of MTC and RMBC are on a different plane to the rest of us !