News: Get up to Speed with STEM returns

South Yorkshire’s largest STEM careers showcase, "Get up to Speed with STEM", is set to return to Magna Science Adventure centre, Rotherham over two days next month and promises many exciting exhibits and interactive activities.

Taking place on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 March, the first day is designed for secondary school students (11-25 years) and the second day for primary school (8-11 years) and SEND young people. With already over 55 exhibitors signed up to attend and around 12 attractions, the aim is to give young people in South Yorkshire and the surrounding areas the very best, most interactive experience of working in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) careers.

The exhibitors, many of which are local companies in manufacturing, engineering, technology or the construction industry, benefit by building relationships with young people, raising awareness of the Apprenticeships or Graduate programmes in their industry and enthusing young people with potential future careers within the business. Young people will have the opportunity to explore and get hands-on with many of the region’s STEM innovations and discuss with the businesses the range of exciting careers and opportunities in that area.

Peter Edwards, CEO of the Work-wise Foundation, who has taken over the reins from John Barber, who retired earlier this year, said: “I’m incredibly excited to be involved with Get up to Speed and I’m looking to build on the success that John Barber and the team have enjoyed over the past 15 years. This year we have had great demand from schools in the region and we’re really excited to be welcoming many new exhibitors on board this year. As usual, Get up to Speed will offer visitors a variety of hands-on STEM activities, with a wide range of different businesses and organisations running demonstrations and interactive challenges to inspire young people.”

Exciting and interactive exhibits include AMRC Training Centre showcasing an innovative Virtual Reality welder and attendees can try out 3D pens; United Cast Bar showcasing Casting in a box. Kids Invent Stuff will be giving visitor a chance to break a Guinness World Record and to build a LEGO tower. Accu will be bringing its robotic football game, with the chance to go head-to-head with an AccuBot.

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There will also be opportunities to explore the world of AI, fly drones, learning through movement with Onboard Skate Park and take part in a personal training session with a world champion MMA fighter, to name but a few!

One of the challenges celebrated at the event will be the LAND AMETEK Get up to Speed with STEM challenge, sponsored by the company and The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers. Local schools have been tasked with designing an interactive, imaginary 20-minute STEM activity for KS3 pupils, which they will present to a panel of judges from the South Yorkshire business community. The winning team will be showcasing their ideas on the main stage at Get up to Speed.

Get up to Speed offers a unique opportunity for businesses to connect directly with future talent, showcasing their innovations while helping to bridge the skills gap in STEM. Over the 15 years, this interactive showcase has introduced STEM career opportunities to more than 55,000 young people, parents and teachers. The Magna visitor attraction will also be open on 18th March including access to the Big Melt, bringing the region’s steel heritage to life.

Local business people will also be invited to attend a Business Breakfast, which will take place in the main hall at Magna Science Adventure Centre this year on day two of the event.

This year’s gold sponsors of Get up to Speed include AESSEAL, Capabilities Beyond Engineering, Sheffield Forgemasters, Stream7 and The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, alongside silver sponsors including Forged Solutions Group, Dragonfly PR, The UK Atomic Energy Authority and Hydra Creative. Bronze sponsors include AMG Chrome, LAND AMETEK, Vulcan to the Sky Trust, Withers & Rogers LLP and The UoS, as well as the AMRC Training Centre, Howmet Aerospace and Made in Sheffield.

Get up to Speed with STEM website

Images: Work-Wise

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News: Greggs planning Rotherham expansion

British bakery chain, Greggs, is on a roll in Rotherham with plans to double the size of its store in a popular village location.

A long-standing tenant at The Tanyard in Wickersley, Greggs specialises in great quality, freshly prepared food at low prices with friendly service.

With the butcher, Peter Cusworth, closing his store following retirement, Greggs has outlined plans to take on the units at 228-230 Bawtry Road to create a bakery and cafe.

Plans, drawn up by JML Planning Consultants, show that the 1,580 sq ft of space would also get a new shop frontage in the current corporate style.

Three tables and six chairs would make up an external seating area to the front.

Opening times would mirror the current store at 236 Bawtry Road - 6 am – 7 pm on weekdays, 6:30 am – 7 pm on Saturday, and 7 am – 5:30 pm on Sundays.

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Newcastle-based Greggs plc reported a record turnover exceeding £2 billion for the first time in 2024. In 2025 it reported "outperformance" with year-on-year gains in market share despite market conditions remaining challenging. 2,739 shops were trading by the end of the year (2,137 company-managed shops and 602 franchised units).

207 new shops opened in 2025, averaging four openings every week, with 50 relocations and 36 closures, resulting in 121 net new shop openings.

Greggs also recently reported a strong pipeline of shop opportunities, and said that it was expecting to open around 120 net new shops in 2026 with "a similar rate and profile of estate growth in carefully chosen locations."

Greggs website

Images: Greggs plc / Google Maps

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News: New parking system at Forge Island includes four hours free

Users of the Forge Island leisure development in Rotherham town centre will now be able to park for free for up to four hours.

Forge Island is Rotherham town centre's 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 and a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel and food outlets - Vetro Lounge, Sygnature Dish and Heavenly Desserts.

Rothbiz reported last month on a council decision regarding a hybrid, ticketless parking system to introduce new concessionary free parking and new parking charges. An original tariff for the 340 space car park has never been implemented due to "operational issues."

The chosen option introduces concessions for all other businesses as part of the Forge Island development alongside the current free parking for cinema and hotel users.

From this week, the authority is implementing parking fees of up to 1 hour for free with up to 2 hours costing £2.50, up to 4 hours would be £5, and up to 24 hours would be £8.

Additionally, parking concessions have been extended to customers of all businesses located within the Forge Island development providing four hours of free parking.

Guests at the Travelodge are still entitled to free overnight parking between 4pm and 10am.

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An update from the Council states: "Enter your registration number on the devices in the business you're visiting. Our automated number plate recognition system will take care of the rest!

"You can of course park for longer than four hours - but just the first four hours are free. If you stay longer, you'll need to pay for the remainder of your visit.

"If you’re not visiting Forge Island businesses, you can still park for up to an hour for free, but longer stays will incur a charge. You will need to pay at a pay station before returning to your vehicle."

In making the decision, the authority explained that it had experienced difficulties in attracting businesses to Forge Island and in letting the units, and had received complaints from the tenants in respect of the car park.

In October 2025, the council's Parking Services staff were drafted in to ensure the site was used appropriately following "heavy usage by non-genuine customers," given the proximity to Riverside House, the police station and the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Forge Island website

Images: Muse / Google Maps

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News: Official opening for new Rotherham country park facilities

A lakeside café is open again at a country park in Rotherham following an extensive refurbishment.

Utilising government funding, Rotherham Council has led on a project to upgrade an aging building at Thrybergh Country Park to create a modern, welcoming café with refreshed décor and a spacious outdoor terrace with spectacular views across the lake.

Local firm O&P Construction began work as the main contractor last year.

Visitors can now enjoy a contemporary new look designed to complement the park’s natural surroundings, with a modern, inviting interior and fully accessible toilets and entrances for people with mobility needs.

The café’s menu is also serving up a brand-new look, with weary walkers able to enjoy tasty breakfasts, freshly brewed coffee and handcrafted sandwiches alongside daily-baked treats.

The project was given a budget of £789,873 and is being funded by a £19.9m package of investment secured by the Council from the Government and its Local Regeneration Fund.

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Cllr. Lynda Marshall, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Green Spaces, said: "The new cafe is superb - whether you're grabbing a morning coffee, or unwinding with an afternoon treat, there’s no better spot than the new lakeside terrace.

“The Country Park is a much loved Rotherham gem with both residents and visitors, and this investment will really help it reach its full potential as a welcoming, accessible destination – and this is just one example of how we’re forging ahead with improvements across our attractions.”

A larger project was initially planned for Thrybergh with £2.5m plans for a new café building, but they were scrapped due to rising costs.

£325,000 of work to resurface paths has also taken place at the park and the next phase of upgrades will be at the play area. A £117,645 contract has recently been awarded by the council to local firm, Lightmain, for the creation of a play area with associated fencing, surfacing and planting works.

Images: RMBC

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News: Rotherham planning board recommended to give green light for Gleeson housing plans

The planning board at Rotherham Council are being recommended by officers to approve plans when it meets later this month to decide on an application for over 100 houses from developer, Gleeson.

It comes less than a month after rival plans were withdrawn.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 that Gleeson Homes had identified a site at Mansfield Road in Aston for a new development with a planning application submitted for 111 houses.

The wider site was allocated for mixed use in the council's local plan with the authority explaining that around 150 houses could be accommodated here alongside employment uses.

Another planning application for part of the site was submitted for 155 houses by Persimmon Homes in 2019 but was withdrawn last month.

Gleeson's plans are for a mix of houses across the sloping site but have been revised to now total 107 houses. 27 will have 2 bedrooms, 51 will have 3 bedrooms and 29 will have 4 bedrooms. The majority of the development will be two-storey in height, with the exception of the 12 bungalows.

The main access to the new development would be from Mansfield Road with existing telegraph wires and poles redirected to enable development. The south of the site would include open space and wetlands in the drainage area.

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A report from Cushman & Wakefield submitted with the application confirms that "landowners Network Space Ltd have owned the Site for over 30 years and has been unable to deliver employment land development owing to the topography and ground condition relevant to industrial development."

A report from planning officers states: "There is considerable, more attractive and easily deliverable land supply available, closer or adjacent to larger existing industrial areas, meaning that the loss of the Mansfield Road site from the employment allocation will have limited impact on local supply.

"For residential development, lower costs associated with topographical constraints and ground conditions owing to smaller footprints; coupled with higher achievable end values could cover the costs of development to support a viable scheme. As such, the proposal for residential development at the Mansfield Road site is considered acceptable given the constraints of the site for bringing it forward for employment development."

The viability of the scheme means that only nine of the houses are set to be classed as affordable with Rotherham Council's policy setting that 25% of houses should be affordable in developments of this size. The applicant sets out that despite the site being located in a good market location, relatively high abnormal development costs reduce the financial viability of the scheme.

58 letters were submitted as part of the planning process with many objections, including from the local parish council.

Recommending the application be granted planning permission, any approval comes with a number of conditions. A legal agreement between the council and the developer called a Section 106 agreement (a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable) would include over £600,000 being covered by the developer for things like education provision at the nearby Aston Academy and expanding medical facilities at Swallownest Health Centre.

The site is adjacent to another potential housing site where builder Keepmoat is progressing plans. Closer to Swallownest, the site known as Aston Common was allocated for residential use in the council's local plan that was adopted in 2018, taking it out of the green belt.

Agents said last year that the intention was to pursue a full planning application for 189 dwellings on the 16.2 hectare site.

Gleeson Homes website

Images: Gleeson / Google Maps

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