News: Micropub plan for Rotherham village retail parade

A unit in a popular Rotherham retail parade could be swapping pasties for pints, if plans are approved.

A long-standing bar nearby is also planning a revamp.

Rothbiz reported in February that British bakery chain, Greggs, was expanding at The Tanyard in Wickersley, taking on the former Peter Cusworth Butcher's shop, which closed following retirement, to create a bakery and cafe.

With the new store now open, this meant that 236 Bawtry Road was left empty.

Now a licencing application has been made that would bring the old Gregg's back to life.

Jaxx Irish Bar Limited has applied for the sale by retail of alcohol and the provision of late night refreshment, plus the performance of live music and any playing of recorded music.

Documents show that the opening hours requested are Monday to Wednesday 16:00 to 22:30, Thursday 16:00 to 23:00, Friday 14:00 to 00:00, Saturday 12:00 to 00:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 22:00.

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In 2023, Rotherham Council's cabinet approved the continuation of a policy that affects the number of new or varied alcohol licences being granted in the popular Wickersley area.

A statement of licensing policy was approved in 2020 as the council is responsible for licensing the sale of alcohol, hot food and various events. It included a Cumulative Impact Policy which detailed that an area of Wickersley village would become a Cumulative Impact Zone.

Policies are introduced if the authority considers that the number of licensed premises within a defined area is at such a level that the granting of further licences would be inconsistent with the promotion of the licensing objectives.

The zone was introduced to combat "problems surrounding anti-social behaviour, low-level crime, public nuisance including noise and ambulance related alcohol call outs in a mainly residential area."

The Council has been keen to make clear that the policy does not create a ban on the grant of licenses within Wickersley but an applicant "must be able to demonstrate to the Council and other responsible authorities that granting a new or varied licence will not add to the cumulative impact already being experienced within the area."

Also in Wickersley, The Olive Lounge has recently applied for planning permission for an extension.

Plans show a single storey glass extension to the front facing Bawtry Road that would take the venue from 2,799 sq ft to 3,552 sq ft.

Last year, The Olive Lounge was taken over by the operators of its near neighbours, The W Bars Team that are part of the same group that opertates the W Italian Restaurant.

Images: Rightmove

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News: Trading up - Rotherham stall-holders look ahead to market move

Rotherham’s new Market Hall opens this week - the first phase of a £46.8m redevelopment project in the town centre.

Lead contractors on behalf of Rotherham Council, Henry Boot Construction are putting the finishing touches to the Drummond Street site whilst traders from the indoor market temporarily move into the brand new space.

Alongside a new modern central library, the redevelopment of the markets is divided into two areas, an outdoor covered market, which is being rebuilt, and an adjacent indoor market, which is being revamped.

Paul from P&P Cobbler & Keys, said: "I'm a shoe repairer and key cutter. I can pretty much put my hand to anything. Done it for years, to be honest, since I left school. And here I am today!

"This building has been open since 1971, and it's tired. It's old. It's an old building. It's been a great building. I've been here since 1985 and I think having a new building is good. It's going to be great. Most important to me is that we move forward. I think that's going to be a breath of fresh air that we need. Come down, check the place out."

Andy, from Joe's Butchers, added: "Personally, I've been in market 28 years. We pride ourselves in a lot of home-produced things and try and produce the best quality meats we can, at an affordable price. People do come to us on a regular basis, which I'm very grateful for. We have a bit of a laugh and a joke and things like that. If you're in a supermarket, you look on shelves, you pick things up, chuck it in your trolley, and away you go. They just lack the personal touch.

"When we move into new market, the the main entrance is going to be on Drummond Street, which is straight across from Rotherham College. It's got nice steps leading down into it, landscaped gardens, and a big open space outside. It's going to be all singing, all dancing, all looking nice. We're all moving up there, all brand new stalls, clean, tidy, and all we need is the customers to follow us, which I'm sure they will."

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James from Milk from the Hills is a relative newcomer to Rotherham Markets. He said: "We sell milk and milkshakes directly from the farm. The younger generation love it because they've never had it before. They're used to supermarket milk, which is homogenized, quite highly processed, and the older generation love it because it reminds them of what they used to have, when the cream used to rise to the top of the bottle.

"We could see what was happening with Rotherham Market, the investment that was being put in, the rejuvenation of the market. So, we thought, you know what? We'll play the long game and get involved from the very beginning. A new space, a fresher space to bring, well, the youth back into the market again and rejuvenate it is pretty much essential now. Quite proud to be part of it, to be honest."

Hash from Hash's Mobile Phones And Accessories, is one of the longest serving traders at Rotherham Market. He said: "We do repairs. We sell the full range of accessories. We sell phones. We deal in tablets, iPads. I think in a market hall, I think you become a family. That's the reason we don't leave the market. A very friendly atmosphere, I personally think. We offer a good service. I know people put us down because they think we're just market traders and just small businesses, but I think they get a better service from us than the the bigger shops.

"Keep supporting us, keep coming. We'll keep doing what we can do."

With the entrance facing Rotherham College, access is through a new outdoor space where a number of market stalls will be based. A temporary mobility access entrance will also be available on Henry Street opposite Tesco, and clear signage will help residents, shoppers and families find their way.

Parking is available nearby, including three hours free in Tesco, and up to one-hour free parking, Monday to Friday, in the Drummond Street car park operated by Rotherham Council, which also offers free parking in all its off-street car parks on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Rotherham Council's latest timetable has the library planning to open later this year with the indoor market completing in Autumn 2027.

Rotherham Markets website

Images: Tom Austen / RMBC

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News: Footfall up in Rotherham town centre

The number of visitors to Rotherham town centre is above 14 million a year, but is not yet back to pre-COVID levels.

Rothbiz reported in April that Rotherham town centre had attracted a million more visits since 2024, according to the leader of the council.

Now the authority has published the latest annual footfall figures.

In its Statement of Accounts, Rotherham Council said that there were 14.1m visitors to the town centre in 2025/26, an increase of 850,000 from 2023/24.

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 is not 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 COVID pandemic.

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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. Barnsley town centre attracted a footfall of more than nine million in 2024-25 according to Barnsley Council.

On the ground, Rothbiz recently reported on a "perfect storm" described by local retailers who said that "a massive dip in footfall over the years, not least due to huge retailers leaving for out of town retail parks, has taken its toll."

In Rotherham, the local authority points to the opening of Forge Island in 2024. The £47m development includes an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema, a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel as well as food outlets.

Investment is also being made in events and a dedicated council team designed to make Rotherham’s high streets safer and more welcoming.

Vibrant Town Centres is one of four "gamechangers" in the new plan from the Rotherham Partnership. The vision is for partners to work together to diversify the offer in town centre in order to increase the number of return visits from residents and those outside of the borough.

The plan mentions the continued efforts to create more housing in the town centre, supporting businesses and community organisations to fill previously empty units and revitalise streets, and a collective effort to support residents to buy local.

On using culture and events, the plan states: "An engaging and exciting programme of events will draw people into our town centres, making them vibrant hubs for our communities and places where people come together. In Rotherham town centre, this sense of surprise and discovery will drive a renaissance in the visitor and nighttime economy."

The plan adds: "Across our town centres, including Dinnington, Maltby, Rotherham, Swinton and Wath, we will support the regeneration of our high streets with a focus on improving footfall, business support and making public spaces more pleasant and welcoming.

"We are redefining how we measure success - moving beyond traditional metrics of retail and spending, to also prioritise the social, wellbeing and community value which town centres can deliver."

Images: Flux Rotherham / BTG Eddisons

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News: Rotherham Council knocks back padel plans

Plans to introduce padel courts to Rotherham town centre have been refused by the local council.

The counci's 2017 masterplan placed a greater emphasis on town centre living and leisure, as opposed to traditional retail uses, in continuing the regeneration of Rotherham town centre.

Rothbiz reported in May on a planning application for two padel courts to be constructed over the car park of the boutique hotel in the historic George Wright Building on the heritage High Street.

Developers took on an unused underground building next to the George Wright where The Bunka opened earlier this year - a premium underground VIP golf simulator and leisure venue located on Snail Hill featuring state-of-the-art TrackMan technology, in-house PGA coaching and a members-only bar. A spa in the building is set to follow.

The latest plans from applicant, Mark McGrail of SME Holding Ltd, are for the installation of a simple metal deck for two padel courts over the existing car park.

The courts would be surrounded by fencing and protective panels, plus LED lighting, with plans stating that the proposal "represents a sensitive and sustainable development opportunity that respects its historical context, makes efficient use of underutilised urban land, and delivers an additional element to this urban entertainment venue."

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Given that the site is within the town's conservation area, and the George Wright is a listed building, the plans state that the height and massing have been sensitively designed. The required fencing and protective panels around the courts will be covered by canopies, which the plans state: "although quite high in relation to the GW Hotel it will have little impact upon the GW Hotel given its semi-transparent nature." The development is also easily reversible due to its construction.

Refusing the plans without going to the council's planning board, officers took issue with potential noise and disturbance, and with how the courts would look in proximity to the Grade I listed Rotherham Minster, and Grade II listed George Wright Hotel.

A report from planners states: "The proposed Padel Courts would introduce an incongruous form of development to this commercial Town Centre Location that would cause noise and disturbance to local residents and occupants of commercial properties harming their amenity.

"Due to the visual prominence, height and materials of the proposed Padel Courts the development would appear incongruously within this Town Centre location and would materially harm the setting of the Grade I listed Rotherham Minster and would lead to less than substantial harm to the character and appearance of the Rotherham Town Centre Conservation Area.

The proposed development would also lead to less than substantial harm, at the higher end to the setting of the adjacent Grade II listed building known as the George Wright Hotel. Whilst some public benefit has been identified from the proposals, it is considered that it does not outweigh the harm to these identified designated heritage assets."

To fit in the courts, the structure would go over the Snail Hill access road. Council planners said that this would create "an intimidating environment for pedestrians."

Images: Google Maps / SME / Just Architecture

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News: Whitestone solar plans accepted by Government

Plans to build one of the largest solar farms in the country have moved a step forward - it would cover 1,169 hectares of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster.

Rotherham Council and the three local MPs have all raised issues with the application.

Rothbiz reported last year on early stage plans being updated for Whitestone Solar Farm - a generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW connecting to the National Grid Brinsworth Substation in Rotherham.

Initial consultation documents from solar developer Green Nation showed that vast areas of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster, some safeguarded for the now-cancelled HS2 route, could make up the solar farm.

The northen site straddles the Rotherham and Doncaster border east of Hooton Roberts and north of Ravenfield.

Farmland adjacent to the M18 south of Bramley and Wickersley has also been identified to host thousands of solar panels, as has vast areas of fields either side of the M1 south of its junction with the M18. This includes sites near Ulley, Aston and Brampton, out towards North and South Anston, and the other way to land between Treeton and Whiston.

In the south of the borough, sites could be included in the solar farm development that are close to Kiveton Park, Harthill and Woodall.

Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it is applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to authorise its construction, operation and decommissioning. The final decision on a DCO application will be made at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Having assessed application documents, the Government's Planning Inspectorate has now accepted an application for an order granting development consent.

A three month pre-examination stage will now begin looking at the issues which will need to be discussed at the examination stage which is where the applicant, anyone who is registered to have their say, official bodies and people whose land is directly affected can comment on the proposed development or answer any of the questions at each deadline.

Rotherham Council has already made a representation stating that: "it has been made aware of an apparent failure to serve the requisite notice on the occupiers of Springvale Farm, Springvale House, Morthen House, and New Sycamore Farm. In the absence of evidence demonstrating that such service has been lawfully affected, the Council’s position is that the statutory consultation requirements may not have been fully satisfied."

Local councillors, parish councils and local residents have raised insues over the quality and effectiveness of the consultation.

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John Healey, MP for Rawmarsh and Conisborough says that the consultation has been "fundamentally flawed" adding that each of the three sites are seperate.

The MP said: "Residents do not experience the same local impacts across these three areas, and no reasonable observer would describe them as one contiguous or coherent site.

"Instead of respecting the different communities and recognising each of the three schemes should be subject to a separate consultation, Whitestone has lumped the schemes together in a single consultation. No doubt this is for convenience and to cut costs, but aggregating the three schemes deprives communities of a proper consultation and fails to fully discharge Whitestone's obligation under the act."

Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, said: "Each of the three schemes exceeds the threshold for a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and therefore requires a robust, standalone consultation. Whitestone's decision to amalgamate them appears to prioritise administrative convenience and cost-saving over compliance with the Act [The Planning Act 2008] and over meaningful engagement with residents."

The MPs are asking the Government's chief planner to assess the the adequacy and validity of the Whitestone consultation.

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: "Should this be found to be inadequate, I would urge you to ensure that proper, detailed consultation, which recognises the unique impacts across the three separate schemes, is undertaken prior to any planning application moving forward."

Applicants are hoping for a decision on the plans in Autumn 2027.

Whitestone website

Images: Pexels / Adrinil Dennis

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