Country park upgrade scaled back as costs rise

Upgrade work at Rother Valley Country Park is due to begin in September

Plans to improve a popular Rotherham park are to be scaled back due to rising costs, a report has warned.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council had secured £5.5m in government funding to upgrade facilities at Rother Valley Country Park, adding a waterfront cafe, play areas and parking.

But plans to relocate the park's cycling centre and build a riverside walking path and events space would be scrapped, a report to the cabinet said.

It cited the rising costs of materials, construction and fees as the reason for the decision.

Meanwhile, plans for a new cafe at Thrybergh Country Park were also axed, and the existing cafe would instead be refurbished, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The report said costs had risen due to the "impact of inflation and the volatile national and international construction market".

If approved by cabinet next week, funds set aside for a pedestrian route connecting Eastwood and Parkgate in Rotherham would be reallocated to the country park improvements.

Kier contractors are due to begin construction work at Rother Valley in September, with completion expected in October 2025.

The report is due to be discussed by the council's cabinet on Monday.

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