News: Rotherham restaurant rebrands as sports bar & grill

A popular Rotherham restaurant that closed suddenly in May has rebooted its social media and online presence, hinting that a new future is about to kick off at the venue.

Rothbiz reported that "heartbroken" operators at The Big Smoke were closing the restaurant on the edge of Rotherham town centre in the face of rising costs.

Now The Big Smoke Facebook page has been rebranded as The Press Box - a new sports bar in Rotherham that is set to open in August.

The move makes sense given the family operators were also involved in the Sport Box in Rotherham town centre that has recently changed hands again.

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A new website explains: "Rotherham just got its game-changer.

"Fourteen screens showing multiple sports at once, so you’ll never miss the action. Proper sports bar atmosphere with sports bar food, cold beer, and cocktails that will keep you coming back.

"But we’ve gone further than just screens and good grub. Golf simulator featuring world-class courses for when you want to test your swing. Two 22-foot shuffleboards perfect for group competitions. Three traditional dart boards plus one interactive lane. A fussball table. Pool tables for serious matches and friendly rivalries. The Press Box has everything you need for mate dates and competitive sessions that settle debates once and for all."

The venue promises to be the destination for big sporting events, from "Masters tournaments with prize competitions to Super Bowl parties with corn dogs."

With a 4,600 sq ft ground floor, The Big Smoke opened during COVID in 2020 "dedicated to the majesty of meats," taking on the former Florence Nightingale pub at Moorgate, which was previously turned into a restaurant and operated as Modern China.

A post regarding the closure, which was with immediate effect, said: "Due to rising costs and mounting financial pressures, we’ve found ourselves in an impossible position.

"Since April 1st, our overheads and supplier costs have soared, driven by changes brought in by a government that feels completely out of touch with the realities of small, independent businesses like ours. We’ve done everything we can, but the numbers just don’t add up anymore."

The Press Box Rotherham website

Images: Press Box / Google Maps

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News: South Yorkshire shunted into sidelines as MML electrification paused again

Sheffield is set to remain the largest city in the UK without electrified railways after the Government announced a pause of the electrification of the Midland Mainline (MML) in the North and Midlands.

The key route connects London St Pancras and Sheffield via the East Midlands. Working north, Network Rail had previously envisaged reaching Sheffield at the end of 2020 but work was paused at Kettering and effectively cancelled when plans were announced for new bi-mode intercity trains that are able to run on both electrified and non-electrified lines.

Work reportedly continued on the plans but DfT documents relating to the recent spending review show that the off-and-on project has been paused again.

The previous government's Network North document proposed an extension of the electrification of the MML from Sheffield to Doncaster and Leeds (potentially through Rotherham and its planned new station). Electrification to Sheffield was included in the proposition set out in Lord Blunkett's Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail.

Progress on the MML is in contrast to the upgrade of the East Coast Mainline (ECML) that links Doncaster and London which completed in 2020 and paved the way for the introduction of new trains, such as LNER’s Azuma and Hull Trains’ Paragon fleets.

Government documents confirm: "The next phase of electrification [phase 3 to Sheffield] of the Midland Main Line has been paused. Due to rising costs and the substantial electrification that has already been delivered, we are prioritising our funding on other schemes over the Spending Review period. We will continue to keep the potential for full electrification of the route under review as part of our plans to decarbonise our railways and as funding becomes available in future."

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combimned Authority says that it means that Sheffield will be relying instead on older, more polluting diesel trains that are slower, less reliable, and worse for the environment.

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South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “There’s frustration in the region. After decades of national underinvestment in our transport network, we’re having to wait longer for vital rail improvements that would create jobs, opportunities and economic growth. It feels like one step forward and two steps back.

“We were told HS2 would come to Sheffield. That was cancelled. Now electrification of Midland Main Line is being paused. All we’re asking for is a fair deal.

“I’ve raised my concerns directly with the government, and I’ll keep doing so. South Yorkshire deserves a modern, reliable, and sustainable transport network - and I won’t stop fighting for it.”

The region previously missed out when HS2 to Sheffield was one of the first legs to be cancelled which would have reduced the journey time from Sheffield to London from 120 minutes to 87 minutes, with additional seating capacity on brand new electric trains through electrification of MML.

In the wake of the scaling back of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) Rothbiz has previously highlighted some alternative routes and the options most likely to serve Rotherham being an upgrade of the Erewash Valley line and the "Old Road" between Clay Cross Junction and Masborough Junction. An upgrade and electrification of the route north of Sheffield to Leeds has also been looked at, as has a new high speed line between broadly Rotherham and Leeds, known as the "M18 Short Alignment" that would connect to the northern leg of the previous HS2 Eastern leg into Leeds.

The 2025 Spending Review set departmental budgets for day‑to‑day spending until 2028‑29, and until 2029‑30 for capital investment. Whilst committing £92 billion to the DfT, and agreeing more than 50 road and rail upgrades, very little will impact South Yorkshire directly.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Plans approved for SEND school at Gulliver's Valley

A new school has been granted temporary planning permission to open at the Gulliver's Valley theme park in Rotherham.

The facility, for up to 50 children, builds on a partnership established last year between the operators of the park at Rother Valley and Five Rivers Child Care – a social enterprise dedicated to providing children’s social care and helping young people recover from neglect, abuse, trauma or family breakdown.

The plans involve a change of use of an existing resort services / facilities building which sits alongside the recently opened Skills Street immersive learning destination.

The permission enables the use of the site as a school for students who have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) for seven years.

Applicants explained that the proposed River Valley School will "take Five Rivers experience, skills and dedication in independent specialist school provision, and apply that here in Rotherham to the benefit of children in need of SEND school placements.

"The proposed SEND School will be an Ofsted regulated school, regularly assessed to ensure that it is delivering on the needs of children in the region. It will provide 50 student placements, with mixed gender and student age range of 6-18 years old."

The applicant notes that there is an urgent need case for this facility in Rotherham as there is a waiting list for SEND places which cannot currently be met.

The proposal will also provide up-to 40 jobs, across a range of teachers, teaching assistants and care givers.

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The reason for the temporary use period is that it allows Gulliver’s to reclaim occupation of the building if it is needed in the future as the park continues to expand.

The main issue for Rotherham Council planners was that the site is in the green belt. Planners conclude: "that the change of use of the existing building preserves the openness of the Green Belt and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within the Green Belt. The re-use of the building is not inappropriate development, as the building is of permanent and substantial construction."

The use as a SEND school is given weight in planning terms as community facilities in the green belt will be supported as they serve the changing need of Rotherham’s communities.

Established in 1989, Five Rivers is one of England’s most experienced providers of children’s social care. It operates independent specialist schools and partners with over 100 local authorities, providing a comprehensive and connected service across five key focus areas: foster care, residential care, education, assessment and therapy and crisis intervention.

Gulliver’s Activity Centre is already in operation, utilising six bespoke cabins in a peaceful wooded area, offering bespoke learning programs in a therapeutic environment.

A brochure for the new school explains: "River Valley will be a happy, safe and welcoming environment, which will allow our pupils to achieve their own academic targets whilst feeling safe, secure and boosting their self esteem."

The plans were approved without going to the council's planning board.

Commenting on the plans, Helen Leadley, Commissioning Manager at Rotherham Council, said: "RMBC Children’s Services commission education placements with Five Rivers. We find them to be child centred and able to meet the needs of young students with complex needs. The Gulliver’s location is beneficial for children’s education as there is plenty of space which allows for flexibility in the delivery of these services."

Five Rivers website
Gulliver's Valley website

Images: Five Rivers / Google Maps

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News: Contractors appointed for Rotherham Council housing developments

Prominent housing developments led by Rotherham Council are a step closer with the appointment of construction firms for the multimillion pound contracts.

The council says that it is on track to fulfil its promise of delivering 1,000 new homes across the borough by summer 2027.

At Eastwood, the prominent council-owned former car park on York Road is set to be transformed with 12 new affordable house on what is considered to be a gateway site into Rotherham town centre. Here four 2-bedroom accessible flats, six 3-bedroom dwellings and two 2-bedroom dwellings are being built.

At the former Netherfield Court care home nearby, 19 affordable dwellings (a mixture of 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom housing) are planned.

With planning permission secured, Scunthorpe-based GS Kelsey Construction Ltd has been appointed using a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) so that they can engage early in the construction phase. The value of the PCSA stage 1 contract is worth £236,413 with the total contract valued at £7.9m.

The appointment follows on from RH Fullwood & Co Ltd being appointed as partners to bring forward council projects in the north of the borough, and through another PCSA at Thornhill, and O&P Construction working on council schemes at Canklow.

£432,000 in Brownfield Housing Fund grant funding has been secured via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to support the delivery of 27 new Council homes across the sites. Grant funding has also been secured from the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme (AHP), managed by Homes England.

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On the site of the former Ship Inn in Swinton, a £787,000 contract covers four, one-bedroom, semi-detached bungalows. In neighbouring West Melton, building work is taking place at pace on two separate developments which will see the area benefit from six, two-bedroom, semi-detached houses and four, one-bedroom apartments on a contract worth £1.7m.

Pontefract-based RH Fullwood is using modern methods of construction here to enhance the speed of the builds, meaning that the new homes will be ready for occupation sooner, helping to mitigate against the impact on the local community during construction.

To boost numbers further, Rotherham Council's Cabinet approved this week a development to build 18 two and three-bedroomed homes in Denman Road, Wath. This site is one of three sites earmarked for Council homes in the area – with a further ten homes planned in Bushfield Road and Valley Drive. All are subject to the planning process.

Cllr Linda Beresford, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “The Council is committed to supporting our residents with their housing needs – and I’m delighted that we’re on track to fulfill our promise of delivery 1,000 additional homes for local people by summer 2027.

“However, with over 7,000 households currently on our housing register and the level of demand continuing to rise, it’s vital that we continue to work quickly to ensure more residents have a safe, secure place to call home.”

Images: RMBC / Race Cottam

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News: Film-maker works with RiDO on digital training project

Award-winning South Yorkshire documentary maker and multi media specialist Wayne Sables is working with Rotherham Investment And Development Office on a new project sharing skills to create successful high quality film and social media footage.

Wayne has been running successful courses for creatives, freelancers and small businesses wanting to add digital technology into their work for several years.

His working partnership with RiDO will specifically reach out to companies working in the Rotherham area.

“It was during lockdown that I was first asked to do some commissions based around recording on a smart phone,” Wayne says.

As a result of those lockdown sessions, he was then invited by Rotherham teacher, performer, composer and writer Malcolm J Hogan to develop a ten-week educational programme.

And it was when RiDO saw those sessions that they invited Wayne to create more training modules in a partnership that launched last year and will now run into 2026.

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“Those original lockdown sessions proved enormously successful and have really led to the work I am now doing with companies linked with RiDO,” Wayne said.

“It’s all about working with start ups and companies in areas like digital exposure and developing a stronger online presence.

“That’s includes learning how to take great video footage on a smart phone which really is the most that most people will need to get their digital story started.

“The important message is that you really don’t need to be a photographer or a film maker to start creating hugely effective content - we all have the technology quite literally to hand in our phones but most smart phone users simply don’t know how effective that technology can be.

“In year two of this partnership, I’ll be working with clients one-to-one around digital development for business and, of course, using the technology you already have.

“It’s a great way telling successful business stories - and the more I work in this field, the more I recognise how so many of those stories go untold simply because people don’t realise they have the tools for sharing.”

RiDO provides a comprehensive range of services to help new and existing businesses achieve their potential.

It aims to drive economic development, helping businesses start, grow and invest in the future.

It also helps to push forward major developments and provide assistance to companies looking at Rotherham as an opportunity to locate, invest and grow.

Wayne Sables website
RiDO website

Images: Wayne Sables

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