Local campaigner to be immortalised in steel!

Lifelong local access champion Colin Savage is to be immortalised in steel as part of a national art project thanks to a public vote.

Seventy four year old Mr Savage of Kiveton, who worked for a local steel company for 33 years, will be one of three life-size figures cut from steel sheet to form a "portrait bench" that will be installed in Killamarsh.

The figure of Mr Savage will join two others - from Derbyshire and Sheffield - as part of a national art project from charity Sustrans, who are adding the benches to new lottery funded walking and cycling routes across the UK

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 project will provide a multi-user trail between the Halfway Tram stop in Sheffield to Rother Valley Country Park, creating two new bridges and providing a route avoiding a very dangerous section of road in Derbyshire, extending Sustrans' National Cycle Network across South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.  Many miles of access around the Chesterfield Canal in Rotherham will also be greatly enhanced by the work.

A delighted Mr. Savage said he was "speechless" at being told he had won the Rotherham vote.

He said: "It is absolutely brilliant and is a great honour for both me and Wales Parish Council in particular. The council has supported me for many years and actually nominated me for the vote. But most importantly, it is great for the local countryside and for footpaths and rights of way in general. They are a hugely important and valuable part of our local countryside and so need to be protected and maintained."

Well-known throughout the local community, Mr Savage has long campaigned to make the countryside accessible to everyone - so that everyone including families with pushchairs and those with mobility scooters, can enjoy the local path network.

For many years he has worked with the Rights of Way team at Rotherham Borough Council to expand and enhance access for all and regularly reports on issues affecting paths such as obstruction and vegetation growing over paths.

Richard Pett, Rights of Way Officer for Rotherham Borough Council said it was "very appropriate" that Mr. Savage should receive such an honour.

He said: "Colin has championed this new route since he first became involved in the project of assessing and suggesting improvements for footpaths around the Chesterfield Canal.

"Thanks to his efforts many more local people now have greatly-enhanced access to the countryside around them. He is a member of the Steering Group locally and continues to push for better access for local people at a regional level ensuring ensuring that the greatest amount of people can enjoy access onto footpaths and rights of way.

Coun. Gerald Smith, Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity for Rotherham Borough Council, described Mr. Savage as a "worthy winner."

He added: "Colin has worked tirelessly in the Kiveton area to keep paths open and he is also the local footpath representative with the authority. More recently he has been working closely with Community Payback and our team to clear and surface large stretches of local footpaths."

Married with three grown up children and two grandsons, the former Independent Member on Rotherham Borough Council has worked with many local groups including those helping to save Spoens Field for Harthill. He organised a major project which saved Carrington and Dawson terrace and houses on Wales Road as low cost housing for the village. He also organised community bonfires and chaired a committee which raised money to try to provide a swimming pool in Wales.

He has been elected and co-opted Councillor for Wales Parish Council at various times since 1980 with experience as Chairman of the Finance and Footpath Committees.

Since his retirement he has been involved as a volunteer in many local groups;  working with the group which wrote the Parish Plan and in particular wrote the section regarding countryside access and the local paths network. For several years he was a Director at Kiveton Park Community Development Trust.

Sustrans, the charity that enables people to make more of their everyday journeys by foot, bike or public transport, was awarded £50 million by the Big Lottery Fund in 2007, to develop new everyday routes for walking and cycling in communities across the UK.  A portrait bench is being added at all of the new routes.  The 2-D lifesize portraits are cut from Corten Steel, which naturally rusts to a golden colour.

Katy Hallett, Sustrans Director for Art and the Travelling Landscape, said: "It's great that Rotherham residents have chosen Colin Savage to represent them on the portrait bench, it just goes to show how much he means to the local community.

"We can't wait to see the bench installed and see it really become a part of the landscape. Sustrans supports public art that local people can see and enjoy every day and the Portrait Bench is a great example of how our everyday journeys can be made attractive and interesting."

Rotherham Borough Council's Rights of Way team, with help from local people, secured a grant of around £500,000 to enhance walking, riding, cycling and family trails around the Rother Valley Country Park and greater Chesterfield Canal area.

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

This grant is very significant, as it effectively doubles the rights of way budget and extends until 2013.
 
The details of how this is affecting local countryside access can be found at http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/info/613/rights_of_way-information_and_advice/111/sustrans_connect2_project