Wednesday, July 27, 2016

News: Rotherham markets upgrade

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The markets complex in Rotherham town centre has an eye-catching new entrance following investment from the local council.

The new look follows a request to Rotherham Council last year by tenants and traders to brighten up the entrance from Drummond Street, opposite the car park and new Tesco store.

After receiving this request, the Council took the project forward, gaining planning permission for the new entrance signage and also ensuring urgent roof repairs and maintenance were carried out.

The results are now complete and can be viewed by anyone visiting the markets via Drummond Street.

Rotherham Council's Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, Cllr Denise Lelliott, said: "The new entrance looks great and I hope it will encourage many more shoppers to call in and discover all that our fantastic markets have to offer."

The Council’s Markets Operations Manager, Dean Thurlow, added: "The signage above the main entrance looks inviting and vibrant, leading to the many different commodities and services which are on offer six days a week within the Outdoor Covered Market and Centenary Market Hall."

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The authority has been looking at redeveloping the markets complex in order to take advantage of Tesco's move across town.

£25,000 was secured in 2013 to carry out work to understand a refurbishment scheme for the indoor market. Options for the redevelopment of the outdoor tented market were devised and cost estimates to deliver the works are in the order of £4m.

Given the costs and lack of available funding, the Council has targeted small scale improvements to enhance the entrances to, and exterior of, the Markets Complex in the short term.

In 2014, the Retail Group was brought in at a cost of £19,000 to identify the future strategy and growth plan for the town centre markets, and the right offer for the town and its customers.

It is recognised that the markets continue to welcome over four million customers per year but the outdoor markets area is underutilised and has significant issues in terms of its access and permeability into the indoor markets area. A redeveloped markets complex was identified in the borough's growth plan.

The recent supplementary planning document included a key move to support "Making and Trading" in the town centre with the indoor market being retained and the remainder of the site being redeveloped. Influenced by Rotherham's history and ideas such as the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District, a redeveloped market site could include opportunities for small scale manufacturing and space for entrepreneurs. The plans state: "The suitability of the Markets for this purpose is also reinforced by the fact that it would also be capable of providing a space in which products manufactured on site could be sold."

Previous plans drawn up through the Rotherham Renaissance design stages even showed a new car park with bowling alley, cinema and food court above, on the site of the covered outside market.

Rotherham Markets website

Images: RMBC

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