News: Rotherham Persimmon plans pulled

An application for 155 houses in Rotherham by Persimmon Homes submitted in 2019 is no longer being assessed by the local planning authority. It comes as rival housebuilders prepare plans for the adjacent plots of land.

Rothbiz reported last year that a masterplan was updated for a proposed housing scheme on a parcel of land at Aston where developers have been unable to bring forward a commercial scheme.

Persimmon Homes and Gleeson Homes had both identified the site at Mansfield Road for development.

The wider site was allocated for mixed use in the council's local plan with the authority explaining that around 150 houses could be accomodated here alongside employment uses.

Landowners Network Space Ltd has owned the site for over 30 years and has been unable to deliver employment land development owing to the topography and ground condition relevant to industrial development.

Gleeson's 2024 plans are for 111 houses - a mix of houses across the sloping site - 23, two-bed houses, 63, three-bed and 25, four-bed. Twelve are designed as bungalows.

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Rotherham Council has asked for a masterplan for the "comprehensive development of the whole site" which is required to support any planning permission.

Consultants, nineteen47 on behalf of Gleeson Homes, submitted a masterplan, which includes planned uses for Gleeson's site, Persimmon's site, and a remaining parcel of land between the existing Mansfield Road Industrial Estate and the A57 Aston Bypass.

The 2024 application for Gleeson, drawn up by Nineteen47, explains: "The neighbouring application to the east does not comprise committed residential development. The application was validated in December 2019 and since that time very limited progress has been made towards the determination of the application. There is no clear rationale for the delays and the application could yet be withdrawn or refused by the LPA, it cannot be relied upon to satisfy the housing requirement within the allocation. The proposed housing within this application could therefore contribute to the anticipated provision of housing within the site."

The 2019 Permisson application remained undetermined until last month and is now listed as withdrawn.

The whole site is adjacent to another potential housing site where builder Keepmoat is progressing plans. Closer to Swallownest, the site known as Aston Common was allocated for residential use in the council's local plan that was adopted in 2018, taking it out of the green belt.

Agents said last year that the intention was to pursue a full planning application for 189 dwellings on the 16.2 hectare site.

Images: Google Maps / Gleeson / nineteen47 / niemen

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News: Plans put in for new indoor golf and darts facility

A vacant unit at a Rotherham trade park could be home to double bogeys and double tops as it is targeted for a new sports and leisure destination, according to Visit Rotherham.

Visit Rotherham is the only place that brings together news and events information so you can find out what's on in Rotherham. It reports on a planning application being submitted for Rowms Lane in Swinton, which would enable the change of use. An alcohol licence application has also been submitted.

Sim Roomz is being spearheaded by Scott Dawson and promises a state-of-the-art facility if plans are approved by Rotherham Council.

A post on social media explains: "We’ve secured the very best in indoor sports and entertainment technology. Our state-of-the-art facility will feature top-of-the-range TrackMan indoor golf simulators, allowing you to play like the pros, experience world-class courses from around the globe, and enjoy fun, interactive games for the whole family.

"In addition, we’re bringing you the Target OMNI automated dart scoring system, perfect for players of all levels, alongside pool tables, live sporting events, and a VIP family-friendly room complete with multi-sport simulators and a private dart wall — with even more to come."

Swinton's own PGA professional, Lewis Thompson has also announced that he will be relocating to Sim Roomz as its resident golf coach.

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The parade includes trade retailers such as Screwfix, United Carpets and Toolstation. Sim Roomz is looking to create an all-year-round indoor venue in the former gym next door to The Little Town of Play.

When the development was originally approved it restricted uses in the unit to either a "trampoline park, a children’s play area and a gymnasium but for no other purposes (including any other leisure purposes in Class D2)." It also restricted opening hours.

The former planning class D2 Assembly and Leisure was abolished in 2020 and largely redistributed into the new Class E (commercial/leisure).

Applicants want to secure planning permission to use the unit for another leisure use - namely for golf and darts. A change in the opening hours would go from 09.00 and 21.00 Monday to Saturday and 10.00 and 19.00 Sunday inclusively, to 09:00 and 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 09:00 and 19:00 on Sunday.

Plans show eight simulator bays on the ground floor plus a VIP sim bay at the rear, with toilets and a kitchen. The first floor shows four interactive dart boards a pool table and a separate room for the PGA pro.

Sim Roomz Facebook page

Images: swingzone / Pexels / Google Maps

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News: New housebuilder set for Waverley

Another housebuilder looks set to take on one of the large remaining development plots at the Waverley regeneration site in Rotherham.

At Yorkshire's largest ever brownfield mixed-use development, Harworth Group is transforming the former Orgreave coal mining site in to a new sustainable community that will comprise up to 3,890 homes, shops, restaurants, a primary school, and leisure and community facilities, including 310-acres of green open space.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 on planning approval for 177 dwellings on a plot of land known as Plot 4 or Waverley Railside.

At the time, the applicant was master developer, Harworth Group, but now newly submitted plans relating to the site have come in from Strata.

Strata Homes is a huge regional house builder operating across Yorkshire and the East Midlands. It has Rotherham developments in nearby Catcliffe and has been progressing plans for Kiveton Park.

At Waverley, the Strata site is bound by Highfield Spring to the north, the Sheffield-Worksop-Lincoln railway to the south, and industrial units to the east and west. It is adjacent to the site of a potential Waverley train station.

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With a mix of housing sizes, from 1 bed to 4 bed, the approved plans include 113 affordable housing units on the site (63.8%), including five 4-bed affordable dwellings and 12 1-bed affordable dwellings.

A recently submitted construction management plan states: "Strata aim to commence works on site in Spring 2026 with an expected build programme duration of around 4 years (subject to build and market conditions)."

Strata joins a number of housebuilders on the site where only a few large plots remain undeveloped. These include Avant Homes, Barratt Homes, Sky-House, Harron Homes, Forge New Homes, Honey and Taylor Wimpey.

Strata has previously acquired land for residential development from Harworth in Castleford.

Harworth Group plc is a listed Rotherham-based company. A recent update to the stock exchange stated that it had sold 1,837 total plots, with an additional 155 plots due to complete imminently, despite what it called "residential market weakness" during the financial year.

Strata website
Harworth Group website

Images: Harworth Group

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News: Rotherham physio turns ambition into reality

After years of helping patients restore strength and mobility in both the NHS and private practice, physiotherapist Shannon Wilkinson embarked on an exciting new chapter by opening her own clinic in Rotherham.

With guidance and support from RIDO’s Launchpad programme Wilkinson Physiotherapy in Todwick helps people achieve their rehabilitation goals through personalised care and expert treatment.

Whether recovering from an injury, managing ongoing pain, or aiming to improve performance, the clinic offers a wide range of physiotherapy services designed to help clients move better and feel their best.

When Shannon opened Wilkinson Physiotherapy in September, she wasn’t just starting a business, she was fulfilling a long-held ambition. She said: "“I always knew setting up my own practice was the end game. Working for others never gave me the fulfilment I wanted. Now I can structure things my way, spend more time with people, and really listen to their concerns.”

Services include physiotherapy for aches, pains and musculoskeletal conditions, sports injury management, and tailored one-to-one rehabilitation. Shannon also provides pain management plans and pre- and post-operative support for a safe return to full function.

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Having launched in September, Shannon’s client base is diverse, from teenagers to people in their 80s.

Available to all new, early stage and small businesses in the Rotherham area, completely free of charge, Launchpad offers one-to-one coaching and a comprehensive range of expert workshops to help give your business the best start and support to grow. It is delivered by RiDO, the regeneration arm of Rotherham Council.

Shannon has attended many of Launchpad’s expert workshops on artificial intelligence (AI) and marketing, gaining practical insights to help develop her social media marketing skills and grow her clinic. Her advice to others: "“Sign up straight away and immerse yourself in as many of their courses as you can. You don’t know everything about business, and even if you take one thing away from a session, it’s something new you have discovered. I’ve always learned something useful from each workshop."

Wilkinson Physiotherapy website
RiDO website

Images: Wilkinson Physiotherapy

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News: Restored Rotherham theatre goes up for sale

The iconic Empire Theatre in Rotherham town centre has been made available for sale following a multimillion pound restoration.

Advertised as a live events and venue hire business, the freehold of the prominent building has been given a guide price of £2.5m.

The former cinema on Ship Hill / High Street in the town centre is a large restoration project. It is also known as the Essoldo building and was built in 1913 as the Empire Theatre. It has since operated as a cinema, snooker hall and nightclub.

Taking on the historic restoration, SME Holdings Ltd, secured permission for the change of use of the premises from a night club use to a theatre / music venue use class and the first events took place in 2025.

Agents say that the building would be ideal for experienced leisure operators, investors, or groups seeking a scalable regional venue.

Spanning 12,000 sq ft and with a capacity of up to 1,200, vendors say that in excess of £1.8m has been invested in the project which has included uncovering the first cantilever beams (designed by a local architect) that created the impressive "Gods" - the building's uppermost balcony.

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The advert states: "A landmark live events and venue hire business occupying a prominent corner position in Rotherham town centre.

"Originally opened in 1913, the building is of genuine architectural presence, featuring a Classical-style foyer frontage finished in white faience (glazed terracotta) and a large-scale auditorium arranged over three principal levels. The layout provides exceptional flexibility for live performance, ticketed events and private hire.

"The current owner acquired the property in 2023 in a derelict condition and has since invested in excess of £1.8 million in an extensive restoration and upgrade programme. The principal public, trading and operational areas have been fully refurbished to a high standard, with certain ancillary rooms and storage areas remaining in a functional condition.

"The venue benefits from two fully fitted bars across the ground and first floors, together with high-spec finishes throughout and modern customer and back-of-house facilities, all configured for efficient event operation. The sale includes stage, lighting and sound equipment, bar and catering equipment, and all tables, chairs and loose furniture, with the majority of fixtures and fittings approximately one year old and in excellent condition. A full asset list will be provided.

"The venue reopened in November 2025 and has already secured direct promoter relationships, with ticketing operated via Skiddle and forward bookings in place for 2026. These bookings support a forecast turnover in excess of £2 million, generated through ticketed live events, venue hire and bar sales retained by the operator, providing strong income visibility and reducing trading risk.

"The property offers further growth potential, including the creation of an outdoor terrace fronting Ship Hill, activation of currently under-utilised internal areas, and enhanced marketing and programming to drive increased utilisation and bookings at both a local and national level.

This offers an opportunity to acquire a restored, income-generating live events venue with early trading momentum and clear growth potential. Opportunities of this scale, condition and positioning rarely come to market, and as such an early viewing is strongly advised."

A series of events are in the calendar for 2026 including East 17 on Valentine's Day, further Northern Soul events and a larger operator bringing a number of themed daytime events.

Empire Theatre website

Images: Veritas Business Sales

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