News: Rotherham Council vows to help traders as move to new £46.8m market development nears

A rent free period and other support has been promised to market traders in Rotherham town centre as operators, Rotherham Council, prepare to open the New Market Hall next month.

The authority's budget included proposals to freeze charges linked to specific scenarios such as the markets, given the transition that will take place and the re-location of traders whilst the regeneration of the market is carried out.

Lead contractors on behalf of Rotherham Council, Henry Boot Construction, began enabling works on the Drummond Street site in 2023. The redevelopment of the markets is divided into two areas, an outdoor covered market, which is being rebuilt, and an adjacent indoor market, which is being revamped.

Rothbiz reported last month that the overall budget for the scheme, which also includes a new library, has risen again and is now at £46.84m.

Sarah Champion MP raised a number of concerns with the council from market traders, and pointed out the number of stall holders forced to close.

In response, John Edwards, chief executive at Rotherham Council explained that: "Fees for the temporary outdoor covered market have now been shared with all traders.

"A rent-free period has been agreed to assist with the move to the Market Hall, fees have already been halved since COVID for traders, and no one will pay more than they currently pay during the forthcoming 2026/27 financial year.

"In addition, funding has been set aside to support traders with their marketing to help them attract new customers. A communications plan has been developed to help promote the temporary market and this will be rolled out over the coming weeks.

"We are in regular dialogue with the traders and will continue to work with them whilst the works continue until full completion next year."

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Island stalls at Rotherham Market currently cost between £204.50 and £237 per month to rent, with the rent for perimeter stalls at between £150.50 and £237 per month, before other charges are added. New traders can get a three month rent free incentive.

These rents and charges have been frozen for 2025/2026, however the council has increased charges for the Street Market, which is temporarily being held on the main streets in the town centre as construction work takes place.

Fees for "RMBC Casual Traders/ Multiple Trading Days" has increased from £23.50 to £24.40 per day. "Regular Traders" on the street market have seen fees increase from £33.75 to £35 per day.

Traders in the current indoor market are expected to move temporarily into the New Market Hall until the revamp is complete.

Simon Moss, Director of Regeneration and Environment at Rotherham Council, recently updated councillors on the issues. He said: "The traders are obviously really key to what we are trying to do. With no traders, there is no market, so we have been working extremely hard to keep the traders involved. In fact, the premise of the proposal to decant into the new market hall to provide a temporary market, that was an idea that was introduced into the project to address trader's concerns. Quite an investment went into that, because they were really keen to stay on site and so we've built that in.

"Obviously the rent levels have been a concern and recognising the disruption that the construction has caused and impacted on some traders so the 50% rent concession remains in place. We've also made a commitment that no trader will be paying more than they currently are during that period.

"We've also been working really hard to reduce the closure period, which was a real concern for traders who would have lost income during that period. We've reduced that to one week and we've increased the rent free period to three months.

"It's also worth noting the new markets team that we've brought in since the start of the year and that's had a real impact, and fresh energy and ideas, and that has really improved the dialogue that we've had with traders.

"I don't want to downplay the level of disruption and some of the concerns that some of the traders will have, but overall we've put a lot of effort into that, and I believe we are in a much stronger position in terms of that dialogue with traders."

Moss added that the move will take place in the summer this year with traders kept up to date on when that will be. He added: "We are obviously in a difficult moment with the costs and the challenges on the project but we believe that it is going to be an exciting moment for the town centre. We have seen that whenever we have invested heavily in the town centre, that has had the impact on footfall, as we've seen with Forge Island. We are hopeful that [the market] will drive footfall and create the kind of vibrant town centre that we all want to see."

A council report explains the importance of investing £46.8m in revamping the markets that will enable it "to once again become the beating heart of Rotherham town centre supporting economic vitality, increasing footfall, and reinforcing the town’s identity and sense of place."

The report adds that markets act "as traditional anchors that support independent traders, foster entrepreneurship and provide accessible, affordable shopping rooted in local character. When combined with high-quality public spaces, a food and drink offer and flexible spaces for events and social activity, markets help generate footfall, animate surrounding streets and create inclusive, vibrant destinations. Together, these elements underpin a resilient town centre that supports local businesses, strengthens community life and contributes to economic vitality, civic pride and overall wellbeing.

"The Markets complex was recognised as a key anchor in the town centre, both for its historic significance and the potential to be a modern, attractive destination to draw people back into the heart of the town.

"Modern markets are evolving into vibrant, multifunctional destinations that offer far more than traditional retail. The new Market Hall and its surrounding outdoor spaces will create opportunities to use the markets in fresh and imaginative ways, building on the success of feature events like the Bazaar while also providing a welcoming location for a wider range of gatherings, activities, and a traditional food offer. At the same time, collaboration with the College opens the door for the new market and library spaces to support partnership and enterprise adding real value to this part of the town centre."

The latest timetable for the new markets has the New Market Hall on the site of the outdoor covered market opening in June 2026 and the revamped Indoor Market completing in Autumn 2027.

Rotherham Markets website

Images: Adept Consulting Engineers Ltd / LinkedIn / Neimen Blume / RMBC

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News: Second Rotherham outlet for growing chicken brand

Visit Rotherham is reporting that a family run fast-food franchise has opened its second branch in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last year that the Wingers brand was opening at the successful Olive Lane scheme on the Waverley development in Rotherham.

Now Visit Rotherham states that Wingers has recently opened at a unit at Manvers, in the north of the borough.

Amran Sunner and his brother Dylan and dad Bill, set about creating their own delicious, fresh fried buttermilk chicken recipe for customers to enjoy and the idea quickly developed wings! They formed Wingers – the Chicken Wing Company – a family run fast-food franchise business creating delicious, fresh fried buttermilk chicken recipes that got Midland folk drooling.

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The first restaurant opened in Lichfield, quickly followed by more successes around the Midlands. Recent investments can support up to 75 Wingers franchised restaurants across the UK with the firm hoping to open 50 restaurants by the end of 2027. The company said that the Rotherham opening is "another step towards building a truly national, homegrown UK chicken brand."

The Manvers outlet is at the Onyx Retail Park, taking the 1,250 Sq Ft Unit 1A that was recently home to online designer babywear business, Forever Sewing.

Specialising in "top notch buttermilk fried chicken," the menu includes tenders, wings, wraps, burgers and loaded fries.

A spokesperson for Onward Holdings, the owners of Onyx Retail Park, said: "This addition strengthens the diverse tenant mix at Onyx and is expected to significantly increase footfall, benefiting the entire retail ecosystem at the site.

"Congratulations to the team on a successful launch."

Wingers website

Images: Wingers

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News: Consultation continues on £27m active travel schemes in Rotherham

More public consultation has been launched as Rotherham Council is set to spend a further £27.2m on active travel schemes where new cycle lanes are set to be a key component.

Rothbiz has previously reported on a £16.5m scheme that includes bike lanes, bus lanes and a built up roundabout at Eastwood, on the edge of Rotherham town centre. A similar £10.7m cycle lane and roundabout scheme is proposed for Stag Roundabout and Wickersley / Broom Road.

The schemes follow on from the the £6.4m Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor schemes and the £3.6m Broom Road Cycleways scheme.

The majority of funding for the latest schemes is coming from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) through the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a government funding stream.

As Rothbiz has previously reported, the funding is conditional on increasing active travel (hence the new cycle lanes) and increasing bus patronage and reducing bus journey times (hence the new bus lanes).

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The most significant change is at St Ann's Roundabout. The consultation explains: "We propose to retain all arms of St Ann's Roundabout, replacing the subways with signalised crossings, with cycleways incorporated along with increased greenery and improved street lighting. The existing roundabout would be filled in."

New street level pedestrian and cycle routes would then be created with new traffic lights with cyclist and pedestrian crossings.

On Fitzwilliam Road, new cycle lanes would be created all the way from St Ann's Roundabout to the fire station. A new bus lane would also be created on the approach to the roundabout.

Neighbourhood streets are also set for investment, including new cycle lanes and speed humps on Doncaster Road and Badsley Moor Lane and new raised crossings on Middle Lane.

At Stag Roundabout, segregated cycle routes and controlled crossing facilities would be introduced on each arm of the roundabout, replacing the current zebra crossings.

For the main roads, cycle lanes and bus lanes are planned, with the council still considering a number of options for Broom Road and Wickersley Road.

The consultation states: "The first of these proposals would create a combined bus and cycle lane to be shared by bikes and buses which would split on the approach to Stag Roundabout.

"The second proposal would introduce a separate bus lane and a separate cycle lane along Wickersley Road, from the junction with Middle Lane South to Stag Roundabout.

"The third proposal would only introduce a cycle lane, with no bus lane."

For the second option, some trees would need to be removed.

Neighbourhood streets are also set for investment in this area too, including Broom Lane where a zebra crossing close to Sitwell school is proposed to be replaced by a controlled traffic signal crossing.

Consultation on the Rotherham East proposed network improvements closes on June 5, and consultation on Broom Road / Wickersley Road proposed Extension Corridor closes on June 22.

A consultation event is being held at Broom Methodist Church on May 26 from 2pm to 6pm.

Rotherham Council consultation website

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News: What's the use? Still no viable scheme announced for listed building

Rotherham Council has set aside £701,390 to secure an art deco former cinema in the town centre until a new use can be found.

Vandals have previously caused "significant damage" to the fabric of the former Regal Cinema and Mecca Bingo on Corporation Street. The empty Grade II Listed building was acquired in 2022 and has been added to the Council’s own Heritage at Risk Register.

Rothbiz reported last year that a contract, worth £451,694, was awarded to Blackpool-based F Parkinson Ltd for the internal clearance, external roofing and refurbishment.

Planning approval has recently been secured for the latest part of the scheme that aims to ensure that the building remains safe, secure and compliant whilst a review of future use is undertaken. Intervention is necessary to secure the building whilst it vacant and help it to be safely and securely mothballed.

The latest works are described as relatively minor and involve replacing double timber doors on the side elevation facing the car park to the north, with double steel security doors. The existing cast iron rainwater goods on the building have also failed and it is proposed to replace them with cast aluminium rainwater goods painted in an off-white colour.

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A planner's report states: "The building is currently vacant and has been since the 2020 pandemic. The premises have been broken into in the past with metal theft and vandalism having occurred. The owner of the premises Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) have confirmed that they intend to mothball and secure the building until a viable scheme for its re-use can be found.

"With regards to the replacement timber doors, these are not of special interest and look to have been inserted at a later date to provide a fire escape for the building. Whilst the replacement steel doors will look defensive, it is acknowledged that they are necessary to stop break ins of the building whilst it is being mothballed. It is considered that the replacement doors would lead to less than substantial harm to the listed building. As such, public benefit needs to be provided to outweigh the identified harm.

"It is accepted that the building is vulnerable to vandalism and break-ins due to its vacant state. Significant damage has already occurred to the building fabric from vandalism, and this is only likely to continue unless the building is fully secured.

"It is considered that there is clear public benefit in providing security to the building whilst it is vulnerable to break ins by being vacant and the use of steel security doors is a reasonable and expedient measure to protect the building. As such, it is considered that there is clear public benefit to justify the proposal in security terms."

In addition to new paintwork, the council's plans for the building also include using a vinyl treatment on the metal shutters of the existing windows and doors to create the illusion of the original windows and entrances. Where original cinematic posters would have been displayed interchangeable advertising will again be displayed.

Rotherham Council's capital programme 2025/26 to 2029/30 has £701,390 assigned to the Mecca Bingo project.

At the end of 2021, Rothbiz revealed that a campaign to save the building had been successful with the site now protected by Grade II listed building status. This meant that earlier proposals from Sunshine Homes Ltd to erect a new residential building consisting of 45 dwellings and three ground floor commercial units was withdrawn. The plans would have involved knocking down the building as converting the existing property was found to be not a viable proposal.

When a new theatre was included in Rotherham's place-based investment strategy, it was given an investment figure of c.£28m. Rotherham Council has previously used regeneration funding to carry out market testing and an options appraisal for the provision of a performing arts venue in Rotherham town centre as the current Civic Theatre building has challenges in terms of capacity, opportunity for growth and its general condition. A Feasibility Study was undertaken in 2022 to determine a suitable location for a new venue and a site was subsequently acquired by the Council.

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News: "Not acceptable" - council's incapability to control capital costs can't continue

Frank discussions have been held between elected members and council officers over large capital regeneration projects in Rotherham that keep going over budget.

A wide ranging review of how council-led projects are managed is set to take place as the authority wrestles with its largest ever capital investment programme having secured millions in funding for regeneration,

It comes after the cabinet approved a further £8m, including using various council pots to fill a funding gap following an increase in the total budget of the town centre markets and library redevelopment from £40.894m to £46.844m. The request for another £5.95m is a year after the council secured a further £6.5m from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to cover previous budget increases.

Cllr. John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said that he was "extremely frustrated and disappointed" that the town centre project was back before cabinet seeking further financial support.

Cllr. Williams told fellow cabinet members: "As part of some of the very frank discussions that myself and the leader [Cllr. Chris Read] have been involved in with senior officers, we have made it absolutely clear that this is not acceptable and that things need to improve in the delivery of big capital projects. The first step of that journey in terms of making that improvement is to be open and honest and transparent about the issues that have occurred.

"I am pleased that this report is set out in the way that it is. It is quite a frank and direct read, quite a difficult read in places, but I'm pleased we've taken that step."

In a series of challenges in the delivery of the project, the cabinet report highlighted an increase in demolition costs, inflationary increases linked to delays with extended periods of clarifications and amendments, and "an overestimation of project readiness" when the contract was awarded.

Williams added: "The issues clearly raise significant questions on both the original designs, on the project and cost management of the project, and on internal governance overseeing the delivery of this scheme."

The council's chief executive is commissioning an investigation into the markets and library project and recently told councillors that he is also set to conduct a separate independent "end-to-end review of the capital project processes with a focus on large-scale development projects with a view to identifying learning and developing recommendations on how to embed best practice going forward."

John Edwards, chief executive at Rotherham Council, said: "I'm looking at how can we improve and how can we look across. I'm looking to an independent external organisation, perhaps another local authority, to look at the process we have in that space and help us to develop the very best of practice going forward.

"We have lots of skilled staff across the council but there is no doubt that a stronger culture and process is necessary in order for us to enter into, and then see through, major projects effectively, in a timely way, and within budget."

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Simon Moss, Director of Regeneration and Environment at Rotherham Council, added that there had already been significant improvement in project and programme management in recent years. He said: "We've established new gateway processes, there's been lessons around contractual approaches and routes to market, and also around empowering the project manager and project sponsor to ensure that control and influence on key project decisions are aligned closely to those that are accountable to the project.

"On this particular project [the town centre markets and library], unfortunately some of the challenges were fundamentally "baked in" already and improvements since then have helped to identify and mitigate some of those issues, unfortunately rather than eradicate them, but I can offer my own assurances that significant lessons have been learnt and are being employed on other projects which we are seeing successfully delivered across the borough."

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of the council, said: "There will be people who are unhappy, angry about the cost, and worried about what that means for the scheme. The first thing to say, just to reiterate again, of course we cannot continue to spend bigger and bigger amounts of money on these capital schemes, that isn't acceptable to us, and it isn't acceptable to the taxpayer, and none of us should stand for it. So the decision that we are taking, today - this is not a blank cheque but it is the money that is necessary to bring them to fruition. We will ensure that those town centre schemes are delivered.

"The library should be open later this summer, so people should be able ti use those new facilities, and goodness knows we've waited something like 15 years for the library to be relocated back into the town centre so we'll deliver on that. The first stage, the market hall, should be operational in the coming months and we will make sure that that work is done.

"If we were to stop now we would leave ourselves with a half-completed project in the middle of town that would at some stage in the future require even more money to get back into some sort of good use, and we won't stand for that. Without investment in that markets complex that building would have come to the end of its natural life, it would have closed and hundreds of years of Rotherham as a market town would have come to a conclusion and we are not going to accept that either.

"The investigation is also really important. It is important that the council learns the lessons of the mistakes that have been made, that improvements are made in the way that major projects are organised, because, frankly, otherwise the taxpayer and this cabinet will once again be put in a position of not being able to rely on the information that is put in front of us. And that undermines us and it undermines the democratic process, and it means that we will not be able to do our best for our borough."

Images: Henry Boot Construction / LinkedIn

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