Top figures honoured on new cycle route

A “portrait bench” featuring three life-size figures cut from sheet steel is to be installed in Killamarsh to celebrate Rotherham Council and Sustrans securing a £500,000 grant to create new walking and cycling routes around Rother Valley Country Park and the Chesterfield Canal.

People are being asked to vote for their favourite character from four nominations: Sir Donald Bailey, the inventor of the Bailey Bridge; World Cup referee Howard Webb; Colin Savage, who fights for local access in Rotherham, and former footballer and manager Herbert Chapman, who was born in Kiveton Park in 1878.

The public can cast their votes online at www.rotherham.gov.uk/portraitbench or in person at Kiveton and Aston libraries.

A spokesman for Rotherham Council said: “Sustrans, the charity geared to sustained transport, is placing a bench at each of its Connect2 projects across the UK.

“Connect2, which was awarded £50m by the Big Lottery Fund in 2007, is geared to creating new everyday walking and cycling routes, including the Halfway to Killamarsh scheme.

“Residents in each of the three local authority areas will be selecting one character each, and in North Derbyshire Corporal Liam Riley, a 21-year-old who lost his life in Afghanistan while trying to save a friend, has already been selected.

“The work – to improve walking, riding, cycling and family trails in the area – is progressing well and project partners in Sheffield Council and Derbyshire County Council are also progressing their parts of the joint scheme.”

The project will create a trail between the Halfway tram stop and Rother Valley Country Park complete with two new bridges.

Rotherham Council’s £500,000 grant effectively doubles the authority’s rights of way budget and extends until 2013.