News: Capital&Centric's initial proposals for Rotherham town centre regeneration

Rotherham Council has published further details of a multimillion pound regeneration scheme that involves social impact developer Capital&Centric, leading on construction projects across a number of council-owned sites.

Rothbiz revealed earlier this month that the Manchester company, a specialist in unlocking and transforming "unloved" brownfield sites into vibrant, design-led neighbourhoods, had been awarded a contract that could reach up to £100m in value.

The sites include:

- the cleared site of the burnt-out buildings on Corporation Street
- Snail Yard - the cleared site of the former Primark store on High Street, currently a small pocket park
- The Statutes - the cleared site of the former Magistrates Court, currently used as a car park
- two sites along Sheffield Road in the area designated as Riverside Residential

A cabinet paper explains that the design concepts for The Statutes and the sites on Sheffield Road are for residential schemes that are estimated to deliver 225 new homes including both apartments and houses.

The paper adds: "At this stage of the feasibility work, the option proposed by Capital and Centric on which the current funding strategy is based is for the new homes to be developed for private rent with Capital & Centric acting as landlord.

"Capital & Centric are exploring a proposal to fund the development of these sites through their Impact & Places Partnership, which is a joint venture between Swiss Life Asset Managers, Homes England and Capital & Centric. It should be noted that while some viability modelling has taken place and that this indicates the development can be fully funded through this partnership, there remains a risk that the schemes will require additional capital funding outside of the partnership."

The Corporation Street and Snail Yard sites are considered best suited to a development of mixed uses. For Snail Yard, the concept proposes office, retail and four residential units around a courtyard space. Concepts for 3-7 Corporation Street consists of ground floor commercial space with ten duplex residential properties above.

A previous £6m council scheme with 19 1-bed and 2-bed flats and three commercial units on Corporation Street received no interest from the market when it went out to tender.

The latest cabinet report states that these schemes are not considered viable without some form of public sector funding and the council is set to work with Capital&Centric to find gap funding.

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With the first phase underway, the second phase involves the creation of full business cases for each site and stage three is the actual development.

Following cabinet approval, Rotherham Council is proposing to meet the pre-development costs at stage 2 of £2.42m from its remaining Local Regeneration Grant secured from the government. The outcome of Stage 2 feasibility work will be reported to Cabinet in Summer 2027.

Risks have been identified relating to viability, finding gap funding and disposing of the land at nil value. The cabinet report states: "In considering these risks it is important to understand the rewards that are possible to be gained for Rotherham Town Centre should the development of these 5 Strategic Sites be supported. In contrast, doing nothing would leave 5 prominent Town Centre sites undeveloped and unable to achieve their full potential to transform the town centre offer and potentially undermine the ability of other key regeneration projects to generate the greatest impact. Cabinet will have the opportunity to decide whether to proceed or not after the completion of the Stage 2 development work."

Other options, such as putting the land up for sale on the open market, or proceeding to development led by the authority are not recommended.

The report concludes: "In developing the procurement strategy for the 5 Strategic Sites the Council determined that the procurement of a Developer Partner, as opposed to in house or consultancy developed proposals, was the most effective route to ensuring buildability from the outset given the complexity of the sites. The phased approach gives the Council greater control over the evolution of the schemes.

"It enables the Council to ensure proposals are fully tested, costed, and aligned with the agreed vision for Rotherham. Advancing to Stage 2 at this time maintains the original plan and keeps momentum, maintains Council influence over the sites, and ensures decisions are based on detailed evidence rather than assumptions, giving the town centre the best chance of achieving high-quality, coordinated development in line with the Council’s Placed Based Investment Strategy, Town Centre Masterplan and Town Investment plan."

Capital&Centric website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Gulliver's brings Great British Summer Savings to Rotherham

The big name operator of a family theme park in Rotherham is backing the government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme designed to help people enjoy days out for less.

Visit Rotherham reports that from June 25 to September 1 2026, VAT will be slashed on eligible activities, helping families "enjoy the weekend treats, the days out, the small plans that make life enjoyable during the cost of living squeeze while supporting the businesses that depend on summer footfall."

Great British Summer Savings will be a targeted and temporary scheme, introduced alongside free bus travel for children that will run from August 1 to 31 and covers participating local bus services across England.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: "I want families to be able to enjoy the little treats this summer. Great British Summer Savings will help families enjoy time making memories together while boosting business across the UK.

"This comes on top of support we’ve already put in place including freezing fuel duty, taking off £117 off energy bills, and freezing prescriptions and rail fares – all to help families with the cost of living."

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The VAT rate on eligible activities will be cut from 20% to 5%. The reduced rate will apply to:

- Children’s menu meals served in restaurants for consumption on the premises
- Children’s and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts, shows and exhibitions
- Admission tickets, for both children and adults, to a range of attractions, including: amusement parks, fairs, museums, zoos, soft play centres, circuses, adventure parks, nature reserves, wildlife parks and observation attractions.

The scheme is estimated to cost about £300m with £100m to fund the free fares scheme.

Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, said: "Government support for the UK’s visitor economy is always welcome, so it’s great to see the launch of the Great British Summer Savings Scheme which will help families get out and enjoy the fantastic attractions on their doorstep.

"At Gulliver’s, we’ve already applied these savings to ticket prices across our four UK resorts - Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath, Gulliver’s World in Warrington, Gulliver’s Land in Milton Keynes and Gulliver’s Valley in Rotherham – so combined with our latest summer ticket offer, the next few weeks are the perfect time for families to come and enjoy great value days out with us.

"As a family-owned business, we understand the importance of providing affordable days out and short breaks for children, parents and carers and we’re proud to have been creating these fun-filled adventures and lasting memories for the last 48 years."

Opening adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park in 2020, Gulliver's Valley is the company's fourth park aimed at families with children aged two to 13-years-old and each offering a great variety of rides, attractions and accommodation options, as well as a calendar packed full of special events throughout the year.

Gulliver's Valley website

Images: Gulliver's

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News: What the new £8m café means for Rother Valley

Kier Construction has delivered an incredible new café and events facility in Rotherham which stands to be an important asset for the future of Rother Valley Country Park.

Work began on The Waterfront in 2024 creating a new state of the art building housing a new eatery and indoor function space with views extending over the lake.

Opening in April and set in a stunning lakeside location, The Waterfront Café has been thoughtfully designed to deliver an exceptional visitor experience, with over 200 covers in a modern, light-filled setting that makes the most of the surrounding views.

Alongside the café, The Waterfront Function Space offers a versatile venue for events, celebrations and community gatherings, all within a striking contemporary building that connects seamlessly with the natural landscape.

It is envisaged that the new building will help host a million visitors per year who come to the park for events, food, and the many leisure pusuits and water sports on offer.

Tom Hague, senior site manager for Kier, said: "This building matters for a number of reasons. First of all, this site is very well visited. It offers a range of activities and opportunities for people in the local area. But it's seen very little investment since it opened in the early 80s. And this creates more opportunities. The existing facilities are starting to become a little bit tired. And there is opportunity here to get more people in and offer a greater offering for the wider public within this area.

"I think getting people outdoors and into this sort of environment is quite key. This site is situated between Rotherham and Sheffield, and it draws upon that area and the larger region. It's well known for the activities on offer down here, such as the water sports, various different biking and walking opportunities as well. And this facility enables people to come down and enjoy that space and get outdoors.

"This project means a lot to me because I've got a lot of memories and history here. I've spent many weekends here on the water sailing, undertaking various different water activities. I'm often running around the lake as well. I'm a local person to this project. I live in Rotherham, so it's fantastic to be able to deliver projects here where I live. And it's a facility that I'm going to use and bring my family down as well."

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Funding for the project came from the government's Levelling Up Fund, where Rotherham Council was successful in securing £19.5m for the town centre and £19.9m for a number of connected projects around the leisure industry.

Neil Best, Head of Commercial Development and Visitor Experience at Rotherham Council, said: "The project is really important not only for the borough but specifically for Rother Valley in that, since post-COVID, green spaces, as you'll know across the country, have seen a massive influx of visitors, and this is no exception. We get nearly a million visitors a year here now. And the facilities that have been here previously just clearly weren't sufficient to deal with that number of visitors.

"So, we had a fantastic opportunity through what was then the Levelling Up Fund to invest in the park, and this project is the result of several years of endeavour along with [architect] AHR and Kier.

"We are now able to cater for visitors all year round. We have an opportunity to develop a new strain of business in the park through our events programme. We will also be able to cater for bigger events within the park, and obviously, it's an asset in its own right — people will come to visit it."

The Waterfront website

Images: Kier

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News: Supporting female founders in South Yorkshire

The first cohort of female founders of tech businesses from South Yorkshire are benefiting from dedicated support to help them start, grow and scale.

TECH SY, a programme funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to grow the region’s tech ecosystem, has developed a new initiative called The FoundHERy.

With funding from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the British Business Bank, the launch follows a report that tells us that female-founded businesses outperform, generating twice the revenue per £1 invested, showing stronger valuations and faster growth. In six years, the estimated valuation of female-led companies has increased to £198m. Female founders also say that community, visibility and connection remain central to their journey — but barriers like funding access and systemic inequity persist.

FoundHERy is a pilot programme aimed at female tech founders at start-up, early growth and scaling stages. The programme comprises an eight-week intensive support period, a curated mission to London Tech Week, one to one support, group accountability calls, bespoke support to address a core challenge, connectivity with investors and a final pitch event with investors.

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Tracey Johnson, Project Director for TECH SY, said: “South Yorkshire has a strong and growing community of women building ambitious tech businesses, but we know there is more we can do to support them to scale. The FoundHERy is a practical response to that challenge, providing targeted support, stronger networks and the confidence founders need at key moments in their journey.

“It also marks an important first step in a broader commitment to strengthen support for women in tech and investment across the region, helping to build a more inclusive and investable ecosystem where talent from South Yorkshire can thrive.”

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard added: “South Yorkshire has everything it takes to be one of the UK’s leading places for innovation - but we know we won’t reach our full potential unless everyone has the chance to succeed.

“Female founders across our region are already building brilliant tech businesses, but too often they don’t get the same access to investment, networks or opportunities as men. That’s not just unfair - it holds our whole economy back.

“The FoundHERy is about changing that dynamic. It’s about backing talented founders, opening doors, and making sure South Yorkshire is a place where anyone with a good idea and the drive to succeed can build a great business. That’s how we create good jobs, grow our economy, and build a stronger, more equal region for everyone.”

The first cohort brings together female founders and co-founders from across South Yorkshire working at the forefront of tech, spanning robotics, quantum sensing, software and data platforms, biotechnology and digital health solutions.

Tracey Johnson,added: “This cohort is packed with expertise and knowledge spread across a diverse set of sectors and skills. From quantum, to robotics, to medtech and everything in between, we’re proud to have them on board the FoundHERy.”

TECH SY website

Images: TECH SY

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News: The Food Warehouse gets opening date for new Rotherham location

The Food Warehouse has an opening date for its new store at a popular Rotherham retail destination.

Rothbiz revealed last year that, following TUI's relocation, The Food Warehouse was eyeing up the former TUI unit next to Morrisons at Parkgate Shopping.

The Iceland brand is set to open on June 30.

The Food Warehouse is part of the Iceland Foods Group and is revolutionising the way that people shop in stores. It takes the same product lines as Iceland and extends them in a warehouse space, giving customers the ability to buy in bulk and take advantage of the savings.

The 12,500 sq ft store is a newly reconfigured store space to allow for The Food Warehouse's super simple store layout with wider and fewer aisles.

A spokesperson for The Food Warehouse said: "To celebrate our new store, we've got £1,500 worth of the Food Warehouse vouchers to giveaway to the first 150 customers, and more! The Food Warehouse brings you new and exclusive brands, great selection of bigger value packs, plus we're stocked up with all your favourite household essentials."

Another recent opening is mydentist which has relocated from Rotherham town centre.

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Looking ahead, a one of the last remaining vacant units is now listed as being under offer. The 11,000 sq ft unit was vacated by Sports Direct when the store relocated to a large Frasers Group unit at Parkgate,

At the current Poundstretcher unit, a planning application has recently been submitted by the site's owners that would split the unit in two seperate units. Agents for the applicants say that the works are proposed to enable the floorspace to be reoccupied.

Also at Parkgate the iconic steel tree sculpture that has welcomed visitors to the shopping park since 2018 has found a new home at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

The six metre metal structure, has been relocated to the heart of the hospice’s memory garden – which helps to provide a peaceful space for families to reflect and remember their loved ones.

The bespoke piece of artwork was created by celebrated local sculptor Steve Mehdi who was inspired by Parkgate’s former logo. Following the leading shopping park’s rebrand in October 2025 – complete with a new logo – it was important to everyone at Parkgate that the sculpture was repurposed and found a home where it could continue to be appreciated by the community.

The relocation was made possible with the support of Parkway Sheet Metals, H.Askey Transport, Bramley Construction and Landscape Ltd and Holemasters Demtech Ltd whose teams played a key role in ensuring the safe moving of the sculpture.

Mark Kanaris-Sotiriou Senior Operations Manager at Parkgate said: “We’re incredibly proud to be donating Parkgate’s tree sculpture to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. The steel sculpture has welcomed visitors to the park for nearly a decade, and we’re glad that it will remain part of the community in Bluebell Wood’s memory garden. The team at the hospice undertake incredible work caring for babies, children and young people, as well as providing vital support for their families. We’re so proud to partner with them through this addition to the memory garden."

Heidi Hawkins, CEO of Bluebell Wood commented: "We are delighted to welcome this new sculpture to Bluebell Wood. The garden is a very special and important part of our hospice and with summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect time for families to enjoy this wonderful addition. We are incredibly grateful to Parkgate for their support and look forward to sharing this feature with the families in our care."

The Food Warehouse website
Parkgate Shopping website

Images: Food Warehouse / Parkgate Shopping

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