News: Rotherham Council set to acquire more town centre properties

Rotherham Council is set to acquire further property in the town centre - in the area designated for the new Leisure and Cultural Quarter.

With the council leading on the £47m development of Forge Island as a vital catalyst project for the town centre, the authority has been snapping up properties in the Corporation Street area.

The Rotherham Town Investment Plan of 2021 picked out "a cluster of underused buildings which will provide leisure and residential uses on a smaller scale catering for independent providers and contributing to a 24-hour presence in the town centre."

Acquisitions include the Riverside Precint, the former Mecca Bingo building, the building vacated by Wilko, and the burnt-out buildings on the opposite side of Corporation Street. All but the grade II listed Mecca building have been demolished.

Now, with work underway on the new Riverside Gardens and street scene improvements, the council has published a decision approving the acquisition of property interests at Corporation Street.

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The properties have not named but minutes from Rotherham's Town Deal board from 2025 show that the council had an offer accepted on the Ring Shop and make reference to 22 Corporation Street.

Rothbiz reported in 2023 that The Ring Shop on Corporation Street, also known as Smith Brothers, was closing after 127 years at the centre of Rotherham.

The council's negotiations to acquire The Ring Shop property at 26 - 28 Corporation Street were slowed by it going through probate due to the sad death of the owner, Anthony Swann in 2022.

Vacant buildings on Corporation Street have long been a target for investment after Rotherham was named on the list of successful "town deals" which saw £31.6m from the Government used to revamp areas of Rotherham town centre as well as Templeborough and Eastwood.

The vacant bank buildings stick out whilst the improvements go on around them. Rotherham Council acquired Lloyds at 32-34 Corporation Street back in 2006 under previous regeneration plans and in the case of the former NatWest Bank next door, private sector owners have not brought forward a suitable scheme and turned down a bid from the council to buy the building.

The Council had hoped the private sector owner would lead on the scheme and was prepared to sell the former Lloyds bank for just £1 in 2022.

A council report states: "The preferred option is to acquire all properties by agreement.

"Consideration has been given to entering into partnership arrangements with landowners rather than taking full control of the land. In progressing negotiations this approach will be considered on a project-by-project basis, however in many cases, and as understood through early consultation, landowners do not always wish to bring forward schemes fitting with masterplan ambitions, or development is not in the core business of the landowners.

"Do nothing is not a recommended option, considering the Council’s ambitious plans for economic growth and regeneration in the Borough.

"Acquisition of each property could be brought forward on an individual basis, however, considering the quantity of land and property for acquisition and the timeframe it is considered that seeking approvals on a site-by-site basis would introduce a significant risk to the programme, in terms of readiness for timely acquisitions and delivery of the programme."

The cost of acquiring the properties has not been disclosed.

Images: Google Maps / RMBC

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News: Events centre plan for former Rotherham offices

A vacant business centre on a massive steelworks site in Rotherham is being brought back into use.

Built for British Steel in the 1970s and later used as an enterprise data centre and office accommodation, the 41,138 sq ft building on Aldwarke Lane was previously home to Capgemini, a French multinational professional services and business consulting corporation, that relocated its Rotherham office to Sheffield in 2018.

Part of Aldwarke Business Centre first came back into use in 2023 as the home of Unity Boxing - a community interest company that has developed a space for local communities to engage in boxing.

Now work is underway to create function space and a conference suite in another part of the site.

Plans from Aldwarke Developments Ltd were approved in 2023 for a change of use enabling 10,700 sq ft of floor space at first floor level in the eastern part of the building to go from office use to a mixed use comprising of office use during the day and function room during other times.

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In approving the plans Rotherham Council planners said that: "Whilst the proposed use does not strictly accord with the local plan policies [for industrial use], the building has a history of use as an office and the extended use into the evening as a function room is not considered to have any impact on the daytime viability of the site. As such it is considered to be acceptable in principle."

A planner's report confirmed that "the conference suite is to be used entirely as a private event hire venue for assembly and leisure purposes. The space will be available to hire for people to host parties and celebrations."

Given that public transport options in the area don't exist and there are only 75 parking spaces, the council's highways team had originally raised concerns. But having heard that the use is expected to be limited entirely to evenings and weekends – i.e., non-peak hours, highways officers concluded that there should not be any adverse impact on the highway.

The planning permission came with a condition that functions could only take place between 6pm and midnight Monday to Friday, and noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday.

With work now underway to the exterior, Aldwarke Developments Ltd has recently had plans approved for changes to the entrance of the car park at the prominent site.

Images: Google Maps / CPR

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News: Forging ahead: a million more visits in Rotherham town centre

Rotherham town centre has attracted a million more visits since 2024, according to the leader of the council.

Following the opening of Forge Island in summer 2024, Muse reported that footfall across Rotherham town centre during 2024 was 10% higher than the previous year.

Forge Island is the town centre's new landmark leisure destination delivered by Rotherham Council in partnership with Muse. The £47m development includes an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema, a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel as well as food outlets, Heavenly Desserts, Sygnature Dish and Vetro Lounge.

2024 also included the massive homecoming gig for The Reytons which drew a crowd of approximately 20,000 fans to Clifton Park on the edge of the town centre.

With an apparent continued increase in footfall, the council leader has also pointed to the impact of local authority initiatives.

Rothbiz reported last month that free parking in council-run car parks in Rotherham town centre would continue aiming to "support local businesses, boost footfall, and encourage residents to shop locally."

The council's budget also includes over £500,000 to continue to put on a range of events where audiences for town centre events have increased by 13% year-on-year from 2021 to 2025.

In addition, December saw the launch of a dedicated council team designed to make Rotherham’s high streets safer and more welcoming. The £570,000 investment provides extra eyes and ears on the ground, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting residents, businesses and visitors on the town centre and other towns in the borough.

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Speaking at a recent meeting of the full council, Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "None of these things are separate elements. If you look at the town centre, what people perhaps don't realise, is that over the last two years, footfall in the town centre is up by a million visits - a million more visits over the course of those years.

"That's in part of course because of the regeneration activity that has taken place. That's in part because of the council events. That's in part because we have put the resources in place in to the Street Safe team to make it a better and safer environment."

Revitalising the town centre is a central part of the council's 2025 - 2030 plan, called "Forging Ahead." Long term measures of success include an increase in footfall in the town centre, a decrease in the percentage of vacant units in the town centre and an increase in the proportion of people optimistic about the future of Rotherham town centre.

Although the progress of the plan is monitored, and updates provided to councillors, the data behind these measures has yet to be published.

When data was made public, it showed that yearly footfall figures for Rotherham town centre have been in decline since 2012. From just over 26 million in that year, reducing by ten million to 16 million in 2019, even before the pandemic.

The way footfall is measured varies. Commercial property agents at nearby Parkgate Shopping promote that the popular retail destination attracts eight million visitors per year. Agents for Meadowhall say that the Sheffield shopping centre has 24 million visitors a year.

The authority's efforts to boost footfall are set to continue with new budgets including £304,000 to introduce three new Business Support Officers "to engage with businesses in the town centre areas, helping them to flourish" and a further £666,655 for the Shop Unit Business Grant Project that has been oversubscribed. £60,000 has been allocated for Rotherham Town Centre Markets, which is currently undergoing a revamp as part of a £40m regeneration scheme.

Another regeneration initiative designed to boost footfall is Rotherham Council's role in bringing more housing into the town centre.

Private sector developers and investors have also progressed housing plans with the conversion of a number of buildings. Privately funded regeneration schemes have also taken place in the lesiure sector - another key target for generating footfall. The opening of the Empire Theatre following a £1.8m restoration scheme being a prime example.

Images: RMBC / Muse

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News: Rotherham metal fabrication company fined

A Rotherham-based metal fabrication company has been sentenced after pleading guilty to health and safety failings that led to a young apprentice being injured by dangerous parts of a metal cutting guillotine during training.

On Friday 8 November 2024, a 17-year-old apprentice at MTL Advanced Ltd was cutting sheet metal in preparation for welding practice as part of their apprenticeship training. The guillotine was located within a dedicated Apprentice Training Workshop, where first-year apprentices learn and practise metal fabrication techniques before moving into the company’s main manufacturing areas in their second and third years.

The apprentice made several successful cuts, but on the final cut their thumb came into contact with the machine’s clamps, causing a crush injury.

The HSE launched an investigation and identified, from documents provided by the company before an on-site visit, that a large gap in the bed of the guillotine was allowing access to dangerous parts of the machinery. Critically, the company had failed to identify this risk even after the incident had taken place.

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A Prohibition Notice was served remotely by HSE to control the ongoing risk. Following its service, HSE Inspectors attended the site and identified further issues with the guillotine requiring immediate remedy.

The company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £5,013, with a Victim Surcharge of £2,000, at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.

Speaking after the hearing, HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety Chris Tilley said: “Young people and apprentices are at the beginning of their career and so when it comes to workplace risks, employers must take particular care to assess those risks and fulfil their duty to keep them safe. Had this machinery been effectively guarded, this injury would never have happened.”

Part of the WEC Group, MTL's Training Academy opened in 2015 and has played a vital role in developing skilled engineers for the future.

MTL Advanced website

Images: MTL

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News: Pricecheck expands operational footprint to reach £200m turnover goal

Rotherham-based Pricecheck continues to invest in new warehouse space to support its rapid growth.

With its HQ at Beighton Link in Rotherham, Pricecheck is a fast-growing international wholesaler and distributor of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

A deal has recently been done for a new 20,000 sq ft warehouse, on the same Beighton Link site as the firm's HQ. The unit was previously home to Face Theory before the business was sold last year.

This expansion will be bolstered by the addition of a 13,000 sq ft temporary structure at the company’s other Rotherham site, expected to be operational in April.

The £179m turnover firm first moved to Beighton Link in 2016 and added that 197,425 sq ft former Maplin building on Brookfields Park in Manvers in 2020. Pricecheck now has a total operational footprint of over 400,000 sq ft.

The latest expansion is in response to the company’s rapid growth, which has led to a need for additional capacity to meet surging demand. Pricecheck is also hiring half a dozen staff to work at the new warehouse, with plans to grow this number in the future.

To further manage this upscaling, Pricecheck’s Rotherham warehouse is now open on weekends, ensuring operations keep pace with the increasing volume of trade.

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The investment comes at a pivotal moment for the business. Pricecheck recently recorded a record annual turnover of £179 million for the 2024/25 financial year, marking its 11th consecutive year of growth. The extra space will support the final push toward the company’s "Vision 200" goal, a five-year strategic plan to double the size of the business and reach a £200m turnover by the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

The announcement also comes following the 10th anniversary of the company’s move to its Beighton headquarters, during which it received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Mark Amos, Operations Director at Pricecheck, said: “Our rapid growth has been incredibly exciting, but it has also brought challenges. This new warehouse, as well as our Rotherham site being open seven days a week, are vital steps in ensuring we have the infrastructure and capacity to meet the huge demand from our partners and retailers.

“As we continue our evolution from a traditional wholesaler into a brand distributor, we are constantly looking for ways to build on our recent successes. This expansion provides the foundation we need to meet the needs of our growing list of brand partners, hit our targets, and lay the foundations for us to reach even greater heights.”

Pricecheck website

Images: Pricecheck

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