Sprotbrough & Cusworth Published by Sprotbrough & Cusworth Parish Council Parish News Please recycle Autumn 2018 Local Mum Celebrates New Crossing Success SPROTBROUGH mum Beverley Vaughan is proof that people power can make a difference after she spearheaded a campaign to make a local accident blackspot safer. Mrs Vaughan, who is registered blind, was finding it increasingly difficult to cross Melton Road at the junction with Spring Lane and Thorpe Lane, without asking for help because of the risk of being hit by speeding vehicles. A few years ago this had been the scene of an accident involving a Ridgewood pupil who was hit by a vehicle after stepping off the school bus. Mrs Vaughan, a former Ridgewood and Don Valley teacher, decided enough was enough and so, with the help of supporters, organised a petition calling for a zebra crossing, which was signed by 750 local residents. She presented the petition to the parish council and her. Campaign won the backing of councillors, who pledged parish Mrs Vaughan, centre, with Councillors Cynthia Ransome & Pat Haith funds towards the construction costs. Armed with her petition, she also lobbied Doncaster Council and successfully secured Deputy Mayor Glyn Jones and colleagues’ financial support for her plans. Sprotbrough & Cusworth Parish Council and Doncaster Council shared the £30,000 cost of creating the pedestrian crossing, with the parish council using some of its Section 106 funds. These are contributions made by developers towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure. A delighted Mrs Vaughan went with parish council Chair Councillor Pat Haith and Councillor Cynthia Ransome, who represents Doncaster Council’s Sprotbrough Ward, to officially declare the new ‘zebra’ crossing ‘open’. She said: “We had to knock on a lot of doors asking residents to sign the petition but the result has been very worthwhile. I can now cross the road safely and many people have told name how useful it is in enabling them to get to the shops easily and quickly.” Councillor Haith said: “This is a great example of the parish council working with local parishioners to bring a much needed public amenity off the drawing board. We listened to their concerns, gave them our backing and worked with Doncaster Council to make it happen.” Councillor Ransome said she believed Sprotbrough & Cusworth was the first parish council in Doncaster borough to help provide a pedestrian crossing. “It is real partnership working by sharing our financial resources for the benefit of the local community”. Want to know about planning applications near you? PLANS for all new developments that need planning permission are made public by Doncaster Council. This could be an extension to your neighbour's property or a new supermarket in your area. Check out how you can set up an account to receive an email when a planning application is being considered near you - as well as how you can view plans and make comments - by visiting www.doncaster.gov.uk/planningapplicationsonline Or scan this QR code with your smartphone: Take a look at the published user guide and familiarise yourself with how to use the site. You can also find out about planning policy and how you can contribute towards future plans by visiting www.doncaster.gov.uk/localplan Looking back on 2017/18 By Parish Chair, Councillor Pat Haith SPROTBROUGH and Cusworth Parish Council serves a population of just under 12,500 residents across Sprotbrough, Cusworth and Scawsby. There are 17 elected parish councillors, known as members, who represent different areas of the parish, called Wards. All elected members are volunteers and unpaid for the work they do in the community. The parish council employs nine staff who are responsible for the administrative running of the council and the care and maintenance of the community centre, sports pavilions, skate park, outdoor gym and playground facilities. As well as this newsletter, which is distributed to over 5000 homes, we also have a website - www.sc-pc.co.uk - and facebook and twitter pages, helping to keep the community in touch with our activities. The skate park on Anchorage Lane continues to be an extremely popular facility for a variety of wheeled sports activities and is used by young people from both within the parish and throughout Doncaster and the wider region. The outdoor gym and running trails have been equally successful and are well used. The Goldsmith Community Centre hall is in daily use providing a range of community groups and various fitness classes. You can see the full range of activities on our website. As part of our commitment to a continuous programme of upgrade and maintenance of facilities and buildings, new tables and chairs were purchased for the Goldsmith Centre. The improvement programme of tree and hedgerow management also continued at Newlands Park. The committee room is in regular use by groups for meetings and functions, including Sprotbrough Ladies Circle who make a range of craft work to raise funds for charities. The parish council, along with Brodsworth Parish Council, fund and manage Scawsby Community Centre, which is well used by hirers. The four recreation sites that we own are well maintained meetings, including the Internal auditor, highways officers and well used by parishioners for a variety of activities. and Yorkshire Ambulance Service. Residents continue to show their interest in our work by The parish council supported local residents by contributing either regular contact with members, attending council the major cost of £19,000 towards the installation of a meetings or via the parish council office, website and social pedestrian crossing at Melton Road, Sprotbrough, which is media. featured on the front page of this newsletter. The parish council approved another modest increase of two The parish allotments remain well maintained and fully per cent on the parish rate in 2017/18 and a parish rate of used. The past football season again saw all our senior and £170,729 was levied. junior pitches being fully utilised. Regular donations have been made for the benefit of We have member representation on the management community groups and charitable organisations with £1,472 committee of the volunteer run Sprotbrough Library. Several in grants being awarded during the past year We also other members give their time and support Ito help run approved £4,000 of additional support funding to the Sprotbrough and Scawthorpe libraries. Other members are Neighbourhood Planning Group. actively involved with a range of organisations and initiatives such as the Sprotbrough Neighbourhood planning Group Along with Brodsworth Parish Council we contributed and Don Gorge Community Group. £13,125 towards the operating costs of Scawsby Community Centre for the benefit of Parishioners in the Scawsby and We also continue to promote and financially support the Cusworth areas. work of various local groups and organisations including local scout groups, Sprotbrough Music Society and the Don Elected members maintain a watchful eye on budgets whilst Gorge Community Group. exercising prudent management of Parish Council finances; at the close of the financial year Parish Council fixed Assets Members represent the parish council on a range of external were in excess of £1.4 million. bodies, including the Joint Management Committee for the Scawsby Community Centre. The parish council general reserve balances at the year-end were £293,447 and £6,296 VAT was reclaimed from the The Parish Council prioritises its role as a statutory consultee government. A rigorous internal and external audit regime of Doncaster Council Development Control Department thoroughly monitors the parish council’s legal and financial by monitoring, evaluating and commenting on the compliance. The internal auditor, who visits quarterly, has appropriateness of all planning applications that fall within asked again that his satisfaction with the financial record the parish, and by considering parishioners’ views and keeping be publicly recorded. comments. Members sometimes attend Doncaster Council Planning Committee and site visits. Similarly, no issues were raised in 2017/18, by our external auditors, B. D. O., on the accounts for 2016/17. During the year we welcomed a range of speakers to council Looking ahead: the parish council is working on a forward plan of improvements, including the upgrade of the Anchorage Lane play area, featured on Page 5. But what else would you like to see included? Contact the parish council office, or your local councillor - details on the back page - to let us know. Kids could be missing out on travel benefit in South Yorkshire SOUTH Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) is urging schools, parents and carers to make sure their 11 to 16 year olds get a Mega Travel pass. The pass guarantees a flat 80p fare for single journeys on buses and trams and half price train tickets within South Yorkshire for all children in that age group. It’s easy to get a free Mega Travel pass. Parents or carers can simply apply online and it will be sent to their home. To use the pass children just need to remember to take it and tap it on board or show it before paying their fare. The Mega Travel pass is accepted by all operators, on buses, trams and trains in the region, and children can upload a range of weekly and monthly tickets on their pass, saving time and money. Ordering a Mega Travel card online at Travel South Yorkshire is free and quicker than doing it by paper, with an estimated seven days delivery after the application. They are valid up to the 31st July of the year in which a child turns 16, or until the day before their birthday, if it falls in August. If a customer is unable to apply online, they can post a completed application form to SYPTE or leave it in one of the drop- boxes available at South Yorkshire interchanges.