News: "Tourist tax" could raise £7m a year in South Yorkshire

The mayor of South Yorkshire will be able to invest in transport, infrastructure, and the visitor economy through a new levy on overnight stays.

The fee would apply to visitors’ overnight trips, and it would be up to mayors and other local leaders to introduce a modest charge if it’s right for their area.

Any new levy would apply to visitors at accommodation providers including hotels, holiday lets, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses.

Money raised could then help fund local projects that improve communities and enhance tourists’ experiences, that could potentially help attract more visitors – without needing approval from central government. Research also shows that reasonable fees have minimal impact on visitor numbers.

Many cities around the world charge tourists a small fee when they visit, including New York, Paris and Milan.

The announcement is the latest step forward in the government’s mission to devolve power and give those who know their areas best control over how money is spent in their communities.

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Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed said: "Tourists travel from near and far to visit England’s brilliant cities and regions.

"We’re giving our mayors powers to harness this and put more money into local priorities, so they can keep driving growth and investing in these communities for years to come."

Businesses, communities and others with an interest in the measure can have their say on how it should work, with a consultation running for 12 weeks.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said that he welcomed the new powers to introduce a Visitor Levy. He said: "Even a small charge on hotel rooms could raise up to £7m every year for South Yorkshire, money we can reinvest directly into our local events and services to make our region an even better place to visit."

An estimated 36.3 million tourism visits were made to South Yorkshire in 2024 but its overnight holiday and leisure visits market is not as well developed as other destinations in the UK.

A key aim of the South Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership (SYLVEP) is to develop a stronger visitor product with more compelling reasons for people to come (and to stay longer in the area).

Images: Courtyard by Marriott

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News: What's happening with the burnt-out Wetherspoons in Rotherham?

The redevelopment of a fire-damaged pub in Rotherham town centre could be a step closer.

Rothbiz reported in July that the former Rhinoceros pub on Bridgegate was up for sale.

The property, which was given a guide price of £249,995, is now listed as being sold subject to contract.

Known locally as "Rhinos," it was one of 16 pubs put up for sale by J D Wetherspoons in 2019. It had been operating independently from Wetherspoon but was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The units were in the proccess of being refurbished and the initial intention was for the rear wing of the building to be converted into residential apartments, but two subsequent fires caused considerable damage to the existing building and structure.

Proposals for a new "Georgian inspired" mixed use development to replace the pub were approved last year.

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Agents, BRH say that it "presents an exceptional opportunity for investors and developers. With full planning permission granted for 22 self-contained flats and 2 x large ground floor commercial units, it offers significant potential for redevelopment."

The estimated post-development value was given at approximately £3m.

Rotherham Council has previously served a s215 notice on the owner of the site in an effort to address the eyesore of a wrecked building. Local authorities have the power to take steps requiring land to be cleaned up when its condition adversely affects the amenity of the area. The notice was served "due to the dilapidated and poor state the building is still in after the fire and given the site is located in a prime location in the town centre conservation area."

The same agents have also been marketing another redevelopment opportunity in Rotherham town centre.

Rothbiz has previously reported on plans to convert the upper floors of 16 - 20 College Street in All Saints Square.

Up for sale for £599,995, the College Street property is also now isted as being sold subject to contract.

BRH website

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News: Is Marks & Spencer planning to return to Parkgate?

M&S is searching for new, bigger food store sites as it aims to double the size of its food business. A new "potential location list" contains two areas in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported in 2019 that the national retailer was closing its large Parkgate store when it confirmed plans to close over 100 stores in total in order to "radically reshape M&S's Clothing & Home space" alongside relocations, conversions, downsizes and the introduction of concessions.

The historic retailer made the decision to relocate its store on College Street in Rotherham town centre to Parkgate Shopping in the early 2000's. M&S opened a Rotherham Simply Food store at Cortonwood, which is also in Rotherham, in 2017.

Following the performance of the new food stores opened in the last three years, M&S is now expanding the number of locations in its search for sites, including areas where there is not yet an M&S store. It is also looking to expand the size of its food stores to stock a fuller range and attract more customers to do their weekly shop.

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Out of London, M&S requires edge of centre and out of town locations for units of 21,500 sq ft that accommodate its new renewal format. It has 500 areas across the UK on a new potential location list.

In Rotherham, Wickersley and Cortonwood have been identified as target locations.

The current M&S unit at Cortonwood is 11,000 sq ft whereas Wickersley is without a large foodstore, although it is close to neighbouring Bramley which has a Morrisons and an Aldi.

At Parkgate, where the former M&S is now occupied by an 18,500 sq ft Poundland, a planning application has been approved for a new 20,000 sq ft unit designed for a food retailer.

The plans discussed that it will be a "national multiple food retailer" that will be the new tenants but no occupier has been named. An analysis of the current market submitted with the application by agents, Savills, stated that this size of store is popular with secondary foodstores including Waitrose, M&S and Co-op, and discount foodstore retailers including Aldi and Lidl.

Rothbiz recently reported that commercial property agents are now showing that The Food Warehouse is taking the former TUI unit at Parkgate.

M&S website

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News: South Yorkshire chambers unite to drive skills revolution

South Yorkshire’s business community is taking decisive action to reshape the region’s skills system, as the three Chambers of Commerce — Doncaster, Sheffield, and Barnsley & Rotherham — launch the next phase of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

The initiative, funded by Skills England, aims to move the region from diagnosis to delivery, ensuring that South Yorkshire’s workforce is equipped with the skills, training, and opportunities needed to power sustainable economic growth. It directly supports Mayor Oliver Coppard’s Plan for Good Growth, which sets out a vision for an inclusive, innovative, and resilient regional economy.

For years, employers have expressed frustration that the skills system has been too fragmented and complex to access. While the first LSIP gathered valuable insights, this next phase will turn evidence into action, creating a system that works for both learners and businesses.

Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber, said the message from employers was clear: “The ambition to build a skills system that truly works for employers and learners is absolutely right but the pace of change must now accelerate. This next stage is about delivery, not diagnosis. We need to ensure that every part of the system — from training providers to policymakers — is aligned with what our economy actually needs to thrive.”

Over the next six months, the three Chambers will lead a major consultation process across the region, convening a series of Workforce Development Partnerships. These partnerships will bring together employers, colleges, universities, independent training providers, and policymakers to identify the specific skills South Yorkshire needs to compete in the future economy. They will focus on growth sectors including advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, clean energy, logistics, creative industries, and emerging technologies.

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Louisa Harrison-Walker, Chief Executive of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said the collaborative approach is key to success. “We’re bringing together every part of the ecosystem — business, education, and government — to ensure we build a skills system that’s truly fit for the future. Employers have told us they want flexibility, responsiveness, and training that keeps pace with technology and innovation. This process is vital now more than ever to achieve the growth and productivity required to drive South Yorkshire forward.”

The new LSIP builds on findings from the first plan, which ran from 2023 to 2025 and engaged hundreds of employers across South Yorkshire. It revealed consistent challenges: the growing importance of digital skills, a shortage of technical expertise, and an urgent need to strengthen leadership and management capacity. Businesses also highlighted the need for more adaptable, modular training options and better pathways connecting education with employment.

Carrie Sudbury, Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said that embedding flexibility and inclusivity will be central to the next phase. “We need to make sure that every learner, whether they’re entering the workforce for the first time or retraining mid-career, can access opportunities that work for them. This is about building a system that’s open, inclusive, and ready for change. The Chambers are united in our belief that South Yorkshire can lead the way in showing what an employer-led skills system really looks like.”

The LSIP will also use big data and real-time labour market analysis to track regional demand, identify gaps in training provision, and inform funding decisions. This evidence-based approach will ensure that policy and investment decisions are grounded in local realities rather than national assumptions.

The Chambers will share interim findings early next year, with the final LSIP report submitted to Skills England in 2026. In the meantime, the partnership is calling on employers of all sizes and sectors to get involved.

BR Chamber website

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News: Transport funding diverted to Rotherham Gateway Station project

Rotherham Council looks to have paused a number of multimillion pound transport schemes, with external funding instead going towards the cost of the proposed new mainline station.

The £300m scheme has recently cleared another hurdle within central government.

Rothbiz reported in June on the 20-year masterplan for Rotherham Gateway Station at Parkgate which showed how a transport improvement scheme can act as the catalyst for a much wider regeneration project supporting thousands of new jobs.

Integrated with a new tram-train stop, the station would bring faster rail connections. A new mainline rail station at Forge Way would deliver faster links to Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and Doncaster, unlocking wider regional and national connectivity. The aim is for journey times to Leeds to be cut from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and to be 75 minutes to Birmingham.

Backing the project in June, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) approved £11.35m that will enable the detailed design of the project and move it towards procurement. £10m of government funding has already been secured for land acquisition. The total costs of the station, based on estimates from Network Rail, is £133m, and could be as much as £166m for a four-platform station. The station is part of a £300m regeneration scheme.

SYMCA papers show that the Department for Transport (DfT) has given its "approval of the scheme progressing to the next funding gateway" but overall funding for Rotherham Gateway Station has yet to be confirmed, with the borough also waiting on costed plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

So far, £1m has been utilised from SYMCA's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), with £11.35m now set to be used from the same pot.

Earlier this month, Rotherham Council authorised another £400k for the station project, to be used from a £3m feasability fund that uses another SYMCA allocation. The money will enable the appointment of consultants and a programme director.

Recent SYMCA papers show that decisions have been taken in Rotherham to redeploy transport funding to the Mainline Station scheme.

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An update to the SYMCA board shows that there is a forecasted decrease of £71m in the authority's capital spend on transport with £25m relating to internally delivered transport activity, such as delays to the tram asset renewal (£21m).

The paper also discusses: "decisions taken in Rotherham to pause a number of schemes in consideration of the opportunity to redeploy funding to the Mainline Station scheme, subject to DfT’s approval of the scheme progressing to the next funding gateway which has now been received."

The station is a DfT retained scheme, held back by the Governmnet for further review or development before funding is released.

A previous SYMCA paper highlighted continued funding for key transport investment schemes in Rotherham such as £12.34m for the mainline station (up from £1m) and funding for proposed active travel schemes (Broom Road to Wickersley Extension Corridor - £10.7m, and Rotherham East Cycle and Bus Priority Package - £16.5m).

The paper also showed a number of schemes previously lined up for CRSTS funding given a latest forcast of £0. These include Worrygoose Roundabout improvements, which was initially earmarked for £4.8m, and the Maltby Active Travel Neighbourhood scheme, where £2m from CRSTS was previously set aside. Forecast spends have also been reduced for proposed improvements at Ickles Roundabout (from £7.5m to £4m) and at Doncaster Road, Dalton (from £1.2m to £200k).

CRSTS was confirmed in 2022, with South Yorkshire securing £570m. A further £1.5 billion was confirmed for South Yorkshire in June 2025. £530m is set to be used to renew the Supertram network with £350m set aside to reform South Yorkshire’s buses. What the rest of the new funding will be used for has not yet been detailed.

The latest settlement, now renamed "Transport for City Regions" is for 2027-28 to 2031-32 with around £12m brought forward and made available in 2026-27. Funding allocations for the final year of the CRSTS programme (2026-27) were still to be confirmed and both could be a part of the Integrated Settlement from 2026-27.

Images: RMBC

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