New improved bus service for Ravenfield

A new improved bus service is set to start in Ravenfield next week thanks to a campaign by John Healey.

The no 3 bus route through Ravenfield to Bramley and Wickersley was set to be cut when Powell’s went bust last year but John joined forces with the Mayor of South Yorkshire to keep the service going.

And it’s now been confirmed that Cawthornes Travel will be providing a new timetable from 24^th July with additional journeys introduced in the late afternoon on Mondays to Saturdays.

John Healey said: “It’s fantastic news for people living in Ravenfield that the number 3 bus timetable is being expanded.

“The service is used by people in the village to access important services at the Tanyard, in Wickersley and in the centre of Rotherham as well as helping students get to Wickersley School.

“I’ve been campaigning with residents to protect local bus routes but it’s a constant battle, as nationwide over 1000 services were cut last year alone.”

John received confirmation from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority that a no 3 service would be maintained with a timetable increasing from 5 to 9 services a day, Monday to Saturday.

This has helped ensure buses continue to connect the Rotherham Interchange, Wickersley, Flanderwell and Ravenfield.

John's two-year campaign for a new footpath topped off in Cortonwood

John Healey has welcomed much needed improvements to a well-used footpath into Cortonwood retail park. It tops off the MP’s two-year campaign to get the path upgraded.

He worked to get the path properly surfaced with the Rights of Way team at Rotherham Council and St Pauls developments plc, the landowners at the retail park.

The path runs from Knollbeck Lane in Brampton into the retail park along the old pit entrance to the former Cortonwood Colliery site. This provides important access for workers and visitors getting to and from the retail park every day.

John Healey started this campaign after meeting workers in the Royal Mail contact centre on the Cortonwood site in October 2021. They raised their concerns about the safety and state of the footpath which many of them use this to get to work. He then took this up directly with the Rights of Way team at Rotherham Council and the landowner St Pauls, aiming to bring them together to agree  action to improve this footpath.

After organising meetings and site visits with council officers and the Managing Director of St Pauls, the landowners agreed to organise and cover the cost of a new surface along the section of the footpath that most needed this improvement. This new path was laid over just three days, made from crushed limestone to provide a stronger and more durable surface. And vegetation was cut back to open up the footpath further.

Rotherham Council supported this work and offered their technical advice to St Pauls to help ensure these works could be carried out smoothly without delay. They joined them to inspect the new surface last week.

John Healey welcomed these works and said: “I’m really pleased to see a proper surface on this footpath into Cortonwood retail park. It was rough, muddy and dangerous underfoot before, so it’s great to bring the landowners and Rotherham Council together to get this work done.

“This footpath is so well used by local residents who want to shop at the retail park and by staff who need to get into work. Every time we’ve done a site visit,  people stop to tell us how helpful an upgrade would be.”

David Newton, Managing Director of St Pauls developments plc, has also commented on these works and said:

“We’re really grateful to John Healey for bringing us together with Rotherham Council after raising local concerns over the condition of the footpath with us.

“We’ve very much enjoyed working together on this matter and I’m pleased to have been able to organise these improvements to get this better surface laid on the footpath. I hope this is helpful for all the residents who travel along this path when visiting and working at Cortonwood retail park.”