Monday, August 21, 2017

News: Plans in for £10m Rotherham town centre development

By

Plans for the long-awaited revamp of a prominent building in Rotherham town centre have been submitted.

Rothbiz reported first in February that the new owners of Westgate Chambers had been discussing plans for the future use of the building to include retail, leisure and residential aspects. The draft plans also included some demolition and the construction of a new block facing Domine Lane.

A decision to sell the Main Street property was made by Rotherham Council back in 2014 and the deal is set to go through when planning permission has been granted.

The plans from Sheffield-based HMP Bespoke Construction Ltd, state: "The development will create an exciting courtyard residential development and vibrant retail, leisure, and hospitality space, in the heart of the conservation area in Rotherham town centre.

"The Westgate Chamber site is in a key location within Rotherham town centre; adjacent to the Westgate and Minster Quarters, and on the route between the proposed Forge Island Leisure Hub, and the town centre. The new development has the potential to be a key component in the rejuvenation of Rotherham, and will bring vibrant retail and leisure space and high quality residential accommodation right in the heart of Rotherham."

Advertisement

Acquired by the Council in 2006, the major part of the 0.275ha complex is currently home to bars, nightclubs and takeaways with disused offices on the upper floors converted into artists studios and community arts space in 2011. Many units are vacant and part of the site is Grade 2 listed.

The proposed development has an estimated gross development value of £10.7m and the plans, drawn up by Self Architects, are for two interrelated developments.

For the existing building, the plan is for the addition of new shopfronts, in keeping with the heritage-led development of High Street, with three floors of contemporary apartments above.

A brand new building containing retail space and flats on Domine Lane is set to bring "high quality contemporary architecture, which will lift the street scene and continue the recent contemporary development."

Dilapidated buildings on Domine Lane are set to be demolished with the access to a courtyard moved to adjacent the 1915 Bar. The plans conclude that: "Overall the loss of the buildings on Domine Lane is outweighed by the benefit of providing much needed housing and high quality retail and leisure premises in the area."

The rear of the blocks are set to be developed to create an additional floor behind the existing ridge with a reorganisation of the floor plans to open up the space.

Renovating the current buildings, high quality retail, leisure and hospitality space is set for street level, with 29 well-proportioned, contemporary, one, two and three bedroom apartments, above. The new building will feature a large commercial unit on the ground floor with 32, high quality one, two and three bedroom apartments all with inset balconies, Juliette balconies or roof terraces.

Advertisement

Given its proximity to the railway station and interchange, no car parking will be provided on site for the apartments, however 14 parking spaces are proposed for the use of employees of the ancillary retail and leisure uses.

Floor plans show that the basement and ground floor will contain the uses suitable for retail, drinking establishments and the first and second floors for residential.

The Georgian building, known as the Co-op building, was originally a fine residence built in 1794 by the architect John Platt and occupied by him until his death in 1810. It is set to be retained and enhanced. The proposals include reinstating the "handsome" Georgian façade by fitting appropriate 9 and 12-panel windows to the Main Street and Westgate facades, and renewing the shopfronts in a style complimentary to the building.

Images: HMP / Self Architects


7 comments:

Anonymous,  August 21, 2017 at 7:47 PM  

High quality apartments with no parking, think i will look elsewhere for my new home. Sorry, thats one sale you have just lost.

Anonymous,  August 21, 2017 at 11:34 PM  

Bring back free parking. Get rid of unwanted yellow lines and listen to the public. Rotherham is a frightening place to be. Better policing needed.

Anonymous,  August 22, 2017 at 11:42 AM  

Agree about the parking , have no fear though no doubt the council will find a reason to refuse the whole thing for some reason anyway

Anonymous,  August 23, 2017 at 5:00 PM  

The so called quality housing blocks built previously in the centre are now nothing more than social housing. Apartments need parking if you want middle to higher income tenants.

Anonymous,  August 23, 2017 at 8:05 PM  

The good news is that the takeouts along Domine Lane won't be a magnet for the drunken, rowdy crowds that congregate outside of them in the late evenings. And with the A1 taxi depot gone, those same drunken, rowdy crowds won't have to line up on the pavement waiting for a cab.

The center of Rotherham is a stupid place to build residential apartments while vomiting, fighting, drunken revelers spill out from the nightclubs and bars and on to the street.

Anonymous,  November 28, 2018 at 11:04 PM  

You obviously don't leave Rotherham,go to any major town or city in.country youll find huge numbers of apartments in centres,many with bars and restaurants on ground floors of them.Its what Rotherham needs,quality apparents for people who work,and drive drug scum and benefit scroungers out!

Anonymous,  November 21, 2019 at 9:30 PM  

I AGREE I OWN AN APARTMENT IN SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE BOUGHT IT 7 YEARS AGO ITS NOW WORTH IN EXCESS OF £200.000 PLUS AND IN A FEW YEARS TIME WHEN THE AREA ROUND IT {BOTTOM OF THE MOOR } HAS BEEN REGENERATED NEW APARTMENTS 335 IN TOTAL ON A DISUSED CAR PARK THE CITY CENTRE BEING REGENERATED NEW HEART OF THE CITY 2 RETAIL/LIVING/LEISURE DEVELOPMENT £5OO MILLION APARTMENTS/BOUTIQUES/RESTAURANTS/BARS/OFFICES/LEISURE / EPIC BEST DECISION I EVER MADE BUYING A ONE BED APARTMENT ON THE JET CENTRO DEVELOPMENT I HAVE EVERYTHING TO HAND I LAUGH AND MAKE FUN AT THE SURBURBANITES WHO HAVE TO TRAVEL INTO THE CITY CENTRE TO WORK/DRINK/BY CAR/TAXI/TRAM/BUS B4 HEADING BACK TO THEIR DRAB 3 BED SURBURBAN SEMIS WILL THEIR BRICKWEAVE DRIVES COME ON GUYS . IN A COUPLE OF YEARS TIME 50.000 PEOPLE WILL BE LIVING IN SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE THOSE LIKE ME WHO LIVE IN THE CITY CENTRE ARE THE WINNERS YOU GUYS WHO CHOSE TO LIVE IN SURBURBIA ARE THE LOSERS EMBRACE THE CHANGE THESE APARTMENTS WILL CHANGE ROTHERHAM I WORK IN ROTHERHAM TOWN CENTRE AND LIVE IN SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE I LOVE IT IF YOU GUYS WANT TO MOAN THEN STAY IN SURBURBIA AND LET THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MOVE INTO THE TOWN CENTRE MOVE IN THEY WILL BE THE WINNERS THEY WILL BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE TOWN CENTRE REGENERATION PROGRAMME LIKE ME IN SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE I AM EMBRACING THE CHANGE AND YOU KNOW WHAT ITS GOING TO EPIC

Members:
Supported by:
More news...

  © Blogger template Newspaper III by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP