Opening marks a milestone in creation of £300m civic quarter

The run-down Waterdale area of the town is currently being transformed by Doncaster Council’s “development partner” Muse, with new buildings set to include council offices, a performance venue and Doncaster’s first public square.

For two weeks, the new junction at Chequer Road and College Road will provide people working at and visiting premises along College Road with access, but there will be no through route.

Improvements to the College Road junction outside the Council House will complete the new route around the Waterdale area, and the new thoroughfare along College Road will be fully open for all traffic from the week beginning on Monday, July 11.

Peter Dale, Doncaster Council’s director of regeneration and environment, said: “Various important road changes will take place in Waterdale in the next couple of months, all designed to make the CCQ an inviting and attractive place to visit.

“These alterations are an important element of the regeneration plans.”

It is intended that, after all the road changes have taken place, Waterdale will become a “shared space for public transport, private hire vehicles and pedestrians”.

A spokesman for Doncaster Council said: “This essential work is part of the masterplan that aims to ensure the new quarter and its various developments are well connected to the rest of the town centre.

“Making the CCQ inviting and accessible will encourage more people into the public square, the new performance venue and other attractions included in the plans. Motorists, residents and businesses are being advised that a series of road closures and diversions will be in operation while these roadworks in the Waterdale area take place.

“Delays can be expected and motorists should consider alternative routes if possible. Signage on the approaches will direct motorists along the diversions.

“The road infrastructure changes and new public areas will be complete in March next year.”

The “first phase” elements of the CCQ project, including the new civic offices and council chamber, are scheduled to open in late 2012.

The second phase of the regeneration project, which includes the proposed new £22m “performance venue”, should then be completed by the summer of 2013.

Construction work is already under way on Doncaster’s new civic offices which are being built on the former site of a further education college, which was pulled down last year.

At present, the Waterdale central surface car park, which lies between Waterdale and the magistrates’ court, is being closed in “phases”.

Once it is closed, a new 4,500 square metre public square featuring landscaping and water features will be built on the site.

Drivers are now being encouraged to use the newly-refurbished £2.5m southern multi-storey car park, which has been renamed the civic quarter car park.

The CCQ was one of the town’s ‘transformational projects’ announced by former mayor of Doncaster Martin Winter, who signed off the first phase in the last few weeks of office.

Despite the scheme being opposed by the town’s English Democrat mayor Peter Davies, Doncaster Council said it had to continue with the project as it would otherwise be fined for breaching its contract with Muse.

Since then, Mayor Davies has backed the scheme, describing it as “the start of a new chapter for Doncaster.”

In December last year, at a ceremony to mark the beginning of building work on the CCQ project, he said: “We must now get behind this project, which has the potential to be a catalyst for stimulating growth in our economy.”