News: Another Rotherham site eyed up for solar farm

Early stage proposals have been made public for another solar farm in Rotherham, the third such potential project in the south of the borough.

Last year, Banks Renewables secure planning permission for a £60m solar farm to the west of the Todwick Road Industrial Estate in Dinnington, which includes thousands of solar panels installed on green belt land. Earlier this year, ABEI Energy identified a site a 56 hectare site at Piper Lane near Aston for a potential solar farm.

Now another Rotherham site has been identified in Aughton by investment firm, Downing LLP, who has partnered with Yorkshire Water to develop, design, build and operate a portfolio of solar sites across Yorkshire. The first phase of solar developments is an investment worth around £25m, and this will generate a total capacity of 20MW.

The land is located in the Greenbelt at West Lane and is next to the playing fields at Aston Academy. It is adjacent to the operational Water Treatment Works (WTW), owned and operated by Yorkshire Water.

At an early stage, the applicants are hoping to secure planning permission through obtaining a Lawful Development Certificate, stating that the site is in operational use and the energy created is connected to the existing WTW.

The firm has submitted a screening opinion to Rotherham Council and planners will now determine whether the proposed project falls within the remit of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, and whether it is likely to have a significant effect on the environment and therefore requires a detailed assessment.

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The application states: "The Development is still under detailed design development but ultimately it would comprise of ground mounted solar panels with associated infrastructure including inverters, transformers, perimeter fencing, CCTV cameras, and access tracks.

"The total capacity of the Development is expected to have an export capacity up to 1300kWp.

"Solar farms are capable of significant carbon offset, it is expected that this Development will produce enough energy to power up to 89% of the energy used at the Yorkshire Water WTW.

"The Proposed Development will also comprise of approximately 3,000 panels which at this stage would have a maximum panel height of 3.6 m. These panels will be piled into the ground for support, the solar development would be enclosed withing a secure compound with deer proof fencing 1.8m in height."

The company adds that its usual solar farms are for a period of 25 years and after operations end, the installation is removed, with the land it once occupied able to revert to its original use case.

Images: Google Maps

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News: CMD acquired again

Rotherham manufacturing firm, CMD Ltd, has been acquired by another manufacturer, Luceco plc, two years after it was bought by industrial private equity investor, Rubicon Partners.

Eastwood-based CMD is a designer and manufacturer of power distribution and ergonomic solutions in the workplace and makes products such as workstation hardware and power track systems for use in the commercial office, retail and hospitality sectors. The company employs 158 people and has been a market leader of award-winning products and services since 1988.

Rubicon has already bought and sold CMD, a company it first acquired in 2000. CMD was the subject of a management buyout in 2008 and was acquired by American firm, IDEAL Industries Inc., in 2017.

Luceco plc is a supplier of wiring accessories, EV chargers, LED lighting, and portable power products and has its UK manufacturing and distribution centre in Telford.

The acquisition of CMD comes with the purchases of its ultimate parent company, Baltic Topco Limited, from Rubicon Partners and management for cash consideration of £30m, on a cash and debt-free basis.



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It was confirmed that CMD has an experienced senior management team which will remain with the business, continuing to operate from its headquarters in Rotherham.

For the audited 12-month period ended 31 December 2023 CMD reported revenue of £23.1m and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £4.0m. Luceco said that the acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in its first full year of ownership.

John Hornby, Chief Executive Officer of Luceco, said: "Luceco has a well-established position as a leading supplier of wiring accessories to the residential market in the UK so CMD, with its leading position in the commercial wiring accessories market, is a very natural fit. The Group's expertise in product development, manufacturing and sourcing will enable us to accelerate range innovation and improve margins for CMD. We also see an opportunity to offer Luceco's professional lighting range to CMD's customer base of specifiers and contractors. The acquisition is in line with our M&A strategy and follows the successful acquisition of D-Line earlier in the year."

Jon Holding, Managing Director of CMD, added: "CMD has been successful over many years thanks to its hard-won reputation for consistently delivering excellent customer service. The management team and I are excited for the next chapter and look forward to growing the business with Luceco behind us."

CMD website

Images: CMD

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News: Rotherham hotel expansion plans checked in again

New plans are back in to extend a Rotherham hotel, eight years after the operator secured approval for a similar scheme.

Premier Inn has identified a "considerable demand" for additional accommodation at its Rotherham East hotel in the Brecks area.

The latest proposal, drawn up by Walshingham Planning, is for a 4,800 sq ft two storey extenstion to the east of the current hotel. It would provide an additional 16 bedrooms but two current rooms would be lost to create a new corridor. It would take the total rooms at the site from 62 to 76.

The Premier Inn was originally constructed in 1984. It underwent extensions and alterations in the 1990s and early 2000s and has been extended most recently in 2006.

2016 plans for an extension to the east was for a net increase of 21 bedrooms over three floors. It was approved despite objections regarding car parking and the impact on nearby businesses. However, the scheme was never built out.

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The latest application states: "The proposed development will meet Premier Inn's operational requirements at this location, and will help to address the identified bedroom demand.

"It is proposed to erect a two-storey extension to the east of the hotel to provide a net additional 14 bedrooms on the site. The extension will provide an additional 16 bedrooms, but two existing bedrooms will be lost to accommodate an internal corridor. The extended hotel will provide a total of 76 bedrooms.

"The extension will incorporate identical design features to the hotel and will represent a continuation of the building.

"As a consequence of the extension, the car park to the east of the hotel will be reconfigured. The extended hotel and restaurant will be served by a total of 83 car parking spaces including 12 disabled bays. This excludes the 16 spaces which are allocated to the Sainsbury's Local store."

The development would lead to a net reduction of 15 car parking spaces.

The application adds: "With the development in place, there is estimated to be a peak accumulation of 72 cars, assuming all hotels rooms are occupied. The total number of car parking spaces proposed to serve the extended hotel and restaurant (83 spaces) is therefore considered to be suitable to accommodate the likely demands generated by the uses, offering spare capacity for any intermittent peaks on unusually busy days."

Earlier this year, Premier Inn's parent company, Whitbread plc announced a move to "unlock 3,500 new room extensions" and increase the brand's total rooms to 97,000 across the UK within the next four years though extensions and by converting underperforming restaurant space - a c.£500m investment.

Premier Inn website

Images: Google Maps / Walshingham Planning

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News: £11m Rotherham regeneration plans approved

Plans have been approved for an £11m regeneration project in Rotherham centred around Dinnington's market.

Rothbiz reported in July on the plans that outlined how the project will replace old buildings and market stalls with six new commercial units and a large building, which could be used by the community and for commerce. These buildings will overlook a landscaped town square that will be home to new market stalls, that will be stored when not in use.

With the private sector failing to address the declining physical infrastructure around the market, Rotherham Council is using Government funding to purchase privately owned buildings and regenerate the area.

Drawn up by AHR Architects and Oobe Landscape Architects, the plans confirm: "The proposal is to demolish the burnt-out building, the indoor market, the outdoor market, the colliery band building, and half of the shopping parade (36 - 44 Laughton Road). These structures will be replaced with six new commercial units, a pop-up market, a new commercial / community building to be used for public rental, and a fully landscaped area of public realm to create a new market square and clear routes between Laughton Road, the bus station, and well-used car parks.

"The remaining half of the shopping parade will be refurbished to complement the rest of the regeneration project."

The regeneration of the area is identified as one of the key moves in the Dinnington Town Centre Design Support document and the plans were passed without going before the planning board with no representations received.

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Planning officers at Rotherham Council concluded: "The proposed development as a whole will have a significant benefit to the vitality and vibrancy of Dinnington Town Centre, will enhance the markets as a destination and be of benefit to the community.

"The existing area is in a very poor state of repair with a burnt out building on site and other buildings and structures on site have a very utilitarian appearance that brings down the town centre as a whole and creates a negative impression for visitors.

"Dinnington Town Centre has suffered in recent years with the closure of some shops and facilities and a reduction in footfall along Laughton Road, despite the success of Aldi and Tesco Supermarkets. The new market square modern buildings and refurbished shops will create a quality town square that Dinnington is missing for both shopping and community facilities."

The new sqaure is described as being a high standard with high quality landscaping in an interesting design. The new shop fronts are also described as high quality and will include internal shutters "to prevent the later addition of ugly shutters."

Rotherham Council has previously warned that "protracted negotiations" with private landowners has slowed the scheme down and officers were preparing to use a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) at the site.

Images: RMBC / AHR

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News: Record number attend the Chamber Means Business Expo

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce has announced the incredible success of the 2024 Chamber Means Business Expo, which took place recently at the AESSEAL New York Stadium in Rotherham.

This year’s expo attracted over 450 attendees from across the South Yorkshire business community. The event showcased more than 65 local businesses, with the addition of a new second floor of exhibitors representing anchor organisations from across South Yorkshire, creating an engaging Expo for regional innovation, networking, and growth.

Held on Thursday September 19, the Expo was a representation of the growing business landscape of Barnsley and Rotherham. From new innovations and solutions to long-standing local services from trusted businesses, the event provided a great opportunity for businesses across various sectors to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas.

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The sold-out exhibition was a testament to growing business community in the region, sponsored by KCM Waste Management Limited, KAT Communications Ltd, and EntrySign, the event continues to fulfil the appetite for business networking opportunities across the region. Through the support of the sponsors and exhibitors, Chamber Means Business has cemented itself as the go-to business expo in the regional business calendar, and their ongoing support reflects their commitment to supporting growth within the local community.

Shane Young, Operations Director of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said: “Chamber Means Business Expo 2024 was a great reflection of the businesses and connections happening across Barnsley, Rotherham and the wider region through the Chambers membership network. This year we smashed previous records with attracting over 450 in attendance.

"Through the support of our sponsors and exhibitors we achieved record participation, highlighting the growing momentum behind this event since it began in 2012. We are proud to see this expo continue to grow year after year, bringing more and more businesses together.”

As Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber gears up for an exciting autumn line-up, including the Manufacturing Supply Chain Expo in October, the Chamber remains focused on creating further opportunities for its members.

BR Chamber website

Images: BR Chamber

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