Fund of £4m to improve memorials and paving

Ryk Rak/Geograph The cenotaph in Rotherham's Clifton Park, seen from across the memorial garden and fountain. Pedestrians are walking near the memorial and stopping to read. Ryk Rak/Geograph
Cenotaphs, green spaces and memorials in Rotherham are to benefit from funds for improvements and upkeep

A pot of more than £4m has been approved for neighbourhood improvements in Rotherham.

The money will fund the maintenance and improvement of memorials and cenotaphs, repairing uneven pavements and improving the condition of shops, pavements and green spaces in the borough.

About £1.5m will be spent on improving local town centres and addressing environmental issues such as bins and litter.

Some £300,000 will be allocated to the maintenance and improvement of community memorials, including in Greasbrough, Aston, and Todwick, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A further £1.4m will be used to improve pedestrian routes, including repairing uneven pavements, improving crossings, and accessibility upgrades.

In Maltby, £500,000 will be allocated to improvements on the High Street, and in Swinton, £300,000 will support the redevelopment of the town centre.

Councillor David Sheppard, the council's cabinet member for social inclusion, emphasised the importance of the borough's cenotaphs and memorials.

"We're all very aware of how important that is to our communities to remember each Remembrance Sunday and also year-round when people have family connections to those monuments," he told a cabinet meeting.

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