Motorists could be banned entirely from using a new fast-access road during rush hour under new detailed plans for an eco-town in Doncaster announced today.
Developers want to build a community with 5,000 homes and 2,500 jobs at the site of the former Rossington Colliery, alongside the M18.
Under the proposals, a railway station and new road would be created to allow direct access for buses to Doncast
er town centre, with the route forming the first link of a road between the motorway and Robin Hood airport.
But to ensure the carriageways remained free-flowing for buses, private cars would be banned from using the road during the most congested periods.
The proposal goes a step beyond congestion charging and would mean residents who chose, or needed, to use private cars having to find other less direct routes.
Plans to redevelop the brownfield site are the work of owner UK Coal and the company is trying to prove it has the eco-credentials to be selected for development.
The plans have been scaled back from original proposals for 15,000 new homes and all would be within 400 metres of a bus stop, close to a network of cycle routes and with storage facilities for cycles.
The current scheme would involve the creation of environmentally friendly homes on 300 acres of previously developed land, with more than 100 acres of green space, along with land for commercial and retail use.
One objective was to have many jobs so close to homes that workers could cycle or walk, with a second aim of making public transport the preferred option for those who had to travel further.
A UK Coal spokesman said the aim was to "make sure people used the preferred system for a fast track public transport system, unimpeded by private cars.
"This is not banning the car, it is an encouragement to use the most readily available alternatives," he said.
At this stage the idea is no more than a suggestion, which would be discussed during consultations to be carried out in the area over the next few weeks.
After that, firm proposals would be drawn up and advanced if Rossington was eventually selected by the Government as a site for an eco-town. The Government wants a network of such developments around the country.
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