News: Plans passed to replace derelict Rotherham pub

Proposals for a new "Georgian inspired" mixed use development to replace a fire-damaged pub in Rotherham town centre have been approved, with the council hoping that work on the project moves quickly.

Rothbiz reported in April that a planning application had been updated for former Rinoceros pub on Bridgegate.

Essex-based Cape Designs Ltd originally submitted outline plans for the site in 2023.

The approved outline application is for 22 flats and two retail units surrounding an internal courtyard and would involve the demolition of the whole of the existing building.

The Rhinoceros pub was one of 16 pubs put up for sale by J D Wetherspoons in 2019. Known locally as "Rhinos," the pub operated 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.

The new proposals would involve a three storey building with a Georgian style frontage to Bridgegate containing two retail units of 800 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft. Access would be between the retail units into a courtyard area and the proposed new large apartment block.

The plans explain: "As far as the front aspect is concerned, we envisaged a Georgian inspired building which are relatively common in the Rotherham town centre. The existing buildings in the immediate area have been built at different times in different styles so there is no uniform style present in the area."

The Rhinoceros Pub is not a listed building but is within the town centre's conservation area.

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Approving the application without going to the council's planning board, officers state that "the removal of the existing structure would allow for the space to be reused for retail and residential purposed, where currently it is unusable due to fire damage. The development works overall should be deemed to have a beneficial impact on the setting of the nearby designated assets and the conservation area."

Concerns have been raised from the local McDonald's opposite, which has a late night licence to operate, regarding the soundproofing in the new flats.

The Council’s Environmental Health department have indicated that there is potential for disturbance to the future occupiers and so a noise impact assessment will need to be submitted as part of a future reserved matters application.

The approval comes with other conditions, including restricting the uses on the ground floor and a £17,800 sum towards off-site affordable housing within the borough.

The officer's report also confirms that the Council have 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."

Applicants now have three years to implement the scheme, or one year to submit landscaping proposals and a reserved matters application, and then a futher year to implement the scheme from the dtae the reserved matters application is approved.

Officer's concluded: "The proposed development has been carefully considered making the best use of this site in order to achieve a scheme that would not adversely impact the immediate surrounding area. The scheme sits comfortably within its context, replacing the existing, unattractive fire damaged buildings with a vibrant street scene within a prominent area.

"The proposal encourages regeneration by enhancing the street scene and providing the local area with increased economic benefits. The proposal would have no adverse impact on nearby Heritage Assets and would not have an adverse impact on amenity subject to conditions."

Images: Archaeological Research Services Ltd / John Box Associates

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News: Local firm to build Rotherham school extension

The lead contractor has been named for a £3m school extension construction project in Rotherham.

A planning application was approved in June for the extension at Waverley academy on the Waverley estate which is in Rotherham.

The trigger within the S106 Agreement for Harworth Group's large brownfield development has been reached and a financial contribution has been paid to Rotherham Council to enable the extension to be funded and constructed. The authority has secured £3.131m for the project.

Wath-based O&P Construction Services Ltd has secured the contract.

With a total value of £1,893,781, the contract is set to run 40 weeks ensuring that the school can re-open in September 2025.

O&P began back in 1971 and now turn over £20m of projects a year. Education projects include projects in Rotherham such as those at Wath Victoria and Swinton Academy.

The original Waverley school was completed by Geo. Houlton & Sons Ltd in 2020 at a cost of £7m and when the school was originally designed it was done so taking into account that it would be extended to provide a third form.

The plans include six Key Stage 1 and 2 classrooms (three on each floor) along with two library/group rooms (one on each floor) and ancillary toilet facilities. A new nursery room will enable the relocation of the existing nursery room, with associated staff office, storage and extended corridor and entrance. The existing nursery is to become the additional reception classroom.

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Council minutes state: "Waverley Junior Academy opened in September 2020 in response to need created for primary school places by a new housing development. It was originally developed as a 2-form entry school, providing 60 places per year group, with the potential for expansion if needed. The school was oversubscribed and this trend was set to continue in future years. Projections based on the pupil yield created during the development indicated that the expansion by creation of a third form of entry would be required to meet need across the local area in September 2025.

"It had been possible to utilise capacity in other schools across the planning area to meet demand to date and it was anticipated that this would remain the case for entry in 2024. Beyond this time the capacity at schools within a reasonable distance would not be sufficient to meet projected demand. The expansion of Waverley Junior Academy was anticipated to meet growing demand for school places across the planning area as a result of new development on the Waverley development and was, therefore, not projected to impact the overall capacity in local schools.

"Under the Section 106 Agreement with the developer, Harworth Group would pay on request to the Council the sum of £2.945m, subject to the Building Cost Information Service index, on occupation of between 1,500-1,700 dwellings. This threshold had now been met with 1,600 dwellings occupied and the amount payable based on the November 2023 forecast was £3,131m."

O&P website

Images: Houlton

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News: Council cabinet approves CPO route for Rotherham regeneration project

Rotherham Council has approved its last resort to secure the properties needed for a £12m regeneration project centred around the markets in Dinnington.

£11m in funding for the project was allocated by Government in March 2023 and the funding agreement was received in June 2023. Rotherham Council's cabinet approved the start of the scheme in June 2023. A further £1m in council funding was allocated to the project in July 2024.

The scheme involves replacing old buildings and market stalls with six new commercial units and a large building, which could be used by the community and for commerce, plus a fully landscaped area of public realm to create a new market square.

However, the authority continues to warn that "protracted negotiations" with the private landowners has slowed the scheme down and Rothbiz reported in August that officers have been preparing to use a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) at the site.

The Government grants powers to enable acquiring authorities to compulsorily purchase land to carry out a function which Parliament has decided is in the public interest.

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A CPO order was made by Rotherham Council in its long-running attempt to acquire the burnt-out buildings on Corporation Street in the town centre. In the end an agreement was reached so the order, which could have taken more than 12 months to resolve if objections were received and an inquiry was required, was not necessary.

The cabinet met this week to authorise the Council in the making of a CPO for Dinnington.

Cllr. Robert Taylor, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, explained: "We have tried through negotiations to avoid getting to this stage. It has become inevitable as negotiations have continued and we don't want to stall the process any further, and prevent the development which will have a considerable advantage for the Dinnington area, from taking any longer than it should do."

The authority said earlier this year that it had acquired numbers 38-54 Laughton Road and agreed terms with four other owners regarding the acquisition of their interests. Further plots were acquired in July and September.

It was the Council's ambition to complete the assembly of the site by December 2024, with a view to commencing work on the new scheme in early 2025 and completing mid 2026.

With the Government funding having to spent by the end of March 2026, the council's own funds are expected to be used "toward the latter end of the programme to mitigate the risk of surpassing the funding deadline."

Plans for the development were approved last month.

Images: RMBC

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News: AMP move for Insight Direct confirmed

Harworth, a leading regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment, has confirmed the letting of a recently completed, Grade-A Industrial & Logistics building at its Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, to Insight, the solutions and systems integrator.

Rothbiz reported back in 2023 that planning permission had been secured to enable Insight, a Fortune 500 IT firm, to operate from the AMP.

Focused on driving client success through digital transformation, the principal activity of the company is the provision of technology solutions including hardware, software and services to business and public sector clients.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of American firm, Insight Enterprises Inc., Insight Direct UK is a leading provider of brand-name IT to large enterprises, small to medium-sized businesses and public sector institutions, principally in the UK.

Insight has agreed a 15-year lease for the 73,000 sq ft unit, which reached practical completion earlier this month. It will serve as a major European Solutions Integration Centre for Insight, bringing together a number of operational processes under one roof, including distribution, technology lab services and agile office space.

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Insight has operated from a technology campus created in a converted former nightclub next to Sheffield Arena for over 15 years with part of the premises used as a distribution facility for the sale of IT equipment.

The integration centre's main activity is to asset tag and store client equipment during their own IT refresh. Insight's focus is around adding value to the services and solutions to their client base which includes some high profile public sector bodies such as the NHS.

Jonathan Haigh, Chief Investment Officer at Harworth Group, said: “Insight is a global leader in its field and its decision to choose Harworth’s Advanced Manufacturing Park to support its expansion plans is testament to the quality of space on offer, and appeal of the location.

"The AMP has established itself as an international centre of excellence for advanced manufacturing with its designation as part of the UK Government’s first Investment Zone, and we are proud to have played a role in its creation. We continue to focus on delivering high quality Industrial & Logistics schemes across the Midlands and the North of England in undersupplied markets where we are seeing strong demand from a wide range of businesses.”

0.2 million sq. ft. of Industrial & Logistics space has now practically completed so far this year on the AMP, a major hub for manufacturing in the UK, and home to global businesses such as Boeing and Rolls-Royce, as well as the UK Atomic Energy Authority and McLaren Automotive Composites Technology Centre.

Construction of a new 80,000 sq ft headquarters for Technicut, a specialist tool cutting manufacturer, is currently on site, with a further 0.4 million sq ft of consented developable space available at the AMP. This will be ideally suited for a range of businesses seeking to upgrade or expand their existing facilities.

Insight Direct UK website

Images: Harworth

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News: JTL launches new £2m training centre in Rotherham

JTL, one of the UK’s leading apprenticeship providers in the building services engineering sector, welcomed John Healey MP to officially open its new training centre in South Yorkshire.

Rothbiz reported in January that the firm had secured approval to convert the former Morphy Richards offices at Adwick Park in Manvers into a vocational educational training centre.

Established since 1990, the not-for-profit Kent-based charity offers advanced apprenticeships in electrical installation, engineering maintenance, mechanical engineering services comprising plumbing, gas alongside heating and ventilating. They serve approximately 8,000 apprentices and 3,800 employers in six regions across England and Wales, providing opportunities via its own estate of 14 training centres and 80 partner organisations.

The charity’s newest training centre will serve as a hub for electrical apprenticeships and training in green technologies. The state-of-the-art facilities are the result of a £2m investment, highlighting JTL’s commitment to delivering high-quality, learner-focused training, addressing local skills shortages, and supporting the UK’s green skills agenda.

The official opening event was attended by John Healey, MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, who unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and addressed the audience of local employers, industry representatives, apprentices, school students from Wath Academy, careers advisors, and the JTL delivery team about the importance of fostering skills for the future.

The South Yorkshire centre has cutting-edge electrical engineering workshops, classrooms, an End Point Assessment (AM2) preparation workstation, breakout areas, and is set to play a key role in helping the region meet its growing demand for skilled professionals alongside local businesses taking on an apprentice.

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Attendees had the opportunity to tour the new centre, meet the first cohort of apprentices, network and learn more about the technical skills being taught, which will include renewable energy systems and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The South Yorkshire Training Centre will be a flagship facility for JTL, contributing to the local economy and equipping future generations with the skills needed to meet the UK’s demand for sustainable homebuilding and energy infrastructure, through a specialist ‘Green Hub’ of training for renewable technologies. According to the South Yorkshire Trailblazer Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), future skills needs include addressing replacement demand for an ageing workforce and jobs linked to new technology and construction methods and the drive for net zero. With over £11.8 billion in planned projects for the sub-region – two-thirds (£8 billion) of which will be in the green economy – this includes low-carbon tech, electric vehicles, carbon capture and resilient utilities networks, and will all require highly-skilled electrical engineers.

Across the North East region, where JTL has training centres in South Yorkshire, Hull and York, the industry charity is training approximately 1,800 apprentices in partnership with 1,200 employers.

John Healey MP, who represents the local Rawmarsh and Conisbrough constituency, said: “I am delighted that JTL has chosen Wath as the home of its new South Yorkshire training centre for apprentices to learn their trade. The centre has already created 17 jobs locally through new tutors, administrators and supervisors and the plans are in place to train almost 100 new electrical apprentices from across the borough with an expansion into plumbing courses in the near future.

“Apprenticeships provide our young people with a valuable pathway into critical sectors, allowing them to earn while they learn and develop the essential skills they need for their careers. Our community is full of skilled talent and we are eager for the next generation to be able to pick up a trade and get on in life.”

Sir John Low, Chair of the JTL Board, added: “The opening of our South Yorkshire Training Centre marks an exciting milestone for JTL as we continue to expand our network of facilities to meet local, regional, and national skills needs. This new centre will help to equip young people in the South Yorkshire area with the practical, hands-on experience necessary to succeed in the building services industry, particularly as we move towards a greener economy. We are thrilled to contribute to both the local community and the wider national agenda for skills development and net-zero commitments.”

JTL Training website

Images: JTL

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