Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

The Waterfront site remediation has been completed under a £14.5m budget, with the site now being prepared as interim public open space. The report also highlights social value performance that exceeded targets, including local spend and local employment, which is relevant for future procurement KPIs.

Cabinet agreed to accept £1,222,093 of external grant funding from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to deliver the Melton Road to Bolton section of the Trans Pennine Trail improvements. The scheme includes resurfacing, embankment repairs, accessibility upgrades, wayfinding and seating, with no additional council cost stated.

Cabinet approved submission of a full UNESCO Biosphere application for the Doncaster Humberhead area, following candidate status and prior cabinet endorsement. The proposal is framed as an environmental, economic and community policy initiative rather than a regulatory change, with explicit links to biodiversity, green skills, tourism and climate resilience.

Planning permission was refused for a change of use from a four-bedroom dwelling to a children's residential home at 8 Thorncliffe Drive, Stainforth. Members cited crime, antisocial behaviour, safeguarding, community cohesion and the suitability of the location for vulnerable children as the main reasons, relying on MPPF safety and inclusive place-making policies.

Cabinet supported a South Yorkshire-wide programme to expand public EV charging, with over 4,000 charge points regionally and around 1,000 expected in Doncaster. The delivery model is a 15-year concession in which the charge point operator funds, installs, owns and maintains the network, reducing financial risk for the council.

The committee considered and backed a long-delayed quarry reclamation scheme at Near Cliff Quarry involving extraction of limestone waste and formation of stable quarry faces. A restoration escrow mechanism was proposed, with the council holding around £450,000 to secure restoration if the operator failed, alongside a section 106 agreement and conditions covering security, ecology, dust and traffic.

The meeting focused on renewing Doncaster City Centre’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and the evidence for retaining existing antisocial behaviour prohibitions, plus adding a new prohibition on amplified equipment. Officers described consultation findings, enforcement activity, repeat-offender patterns, monitoring arrangements, and partnership work with homelessness, police, and support services. A work-plan update also noted that curbside waste collection will return for consideration in October.

The committee considered a major resubmitted planning application for a private football training centre and community sports campus in the green belt at Martin Graange Farm. Officers supported approval after residential amenity issues from the earlier refusal were resolved through a property purchase agreement, while drainage, highways, community access, and green belt harm remained key considerations. Speakers highlighted economic benefits, local jobs, community use commitments, and support from the business community, and the application was granted unanimously.