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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News: AMP-based tech firm secures investment

AddParts, a Rotherham-based technology company enabling pharmaceutical manufacturers to improve production continuity and reduce operational risk, has secured a six-figure pre-seed investment from SFC Capital to support its growth.

The move comes as pharmaceutical manufacturers face increasing pressure to mitigate operational risk, reduce dependency on fragile supply chains, and maintain continuous production in highly regulated environments. Across global manufacturing, unplanned downtime is estimated to cost hundreds of billions of pounds annually, with even short disruptions having significant financial and operational impact in high-value pharmaceutical production environments.

Based in the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, AddParts addresses this challenge through a virtual-first model that enables manufacturers to store, access, and reproduce critical components on demand, reducing reliance on traditional supply chains and long lead times.

At the core of AddParts' offering is a virtual storeroom that enables manufacturers to take control of their critical parts data, ensuring components can be reproduced on demand, reducing reliance on OEMs, and enabling more resilient, proactive maintenance strategies.

As manufacturers seek to build more resilient, responsive operations, digital spare parts strategies are emerging as a critical component of modern pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Beyond part replacement, AddParts supports manufacturers with reverse engineering of legacy components, digital capture of critical equipment, and engineering-led improvements that reduce failure risk and extend asset life. The firm operates under an ISO 9001-certified quality management system aligned with pharmaceutical manufacturing requirements, ensuring traceability, documentation, and compliance.

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AddParts was also supported by Venture.Community, an organisation that also has an office in the AMP Technology Centre and helps businesses in South Yorkshire raise investment. The programme played a key role in supporting the company's development and preparing it for successful investment.

Tom Fripp, Founder of AddParts, said: "Unplanned downtime is a global challenge for pharmaceutical manufacturers, with real consequences for cost, output, and supply continuity. By digitising critical components and making them available on demand, we're helping manufacturers respond faster and operate more resiliently. Early customer engagements have demonstrated measurable operational benefits, including significantly reduced lead times and improved production continuity. In some cases, avoiding a single extended stoppage fully offsets the cost of implementing AddParts' more proactive spare parts strategy."

Ed Stevenson, Fund Principal, SFC Capital, added: "AddParts gives manufacturers a digital record of their critical components, so they can reproduce what they need on demand instead of chasing OEMs. Tom has built something genuinely useful, and we're pleased to back him."

Peter Hopton, Executive Chairman and Founder, Venture.Community, added: "AddParts is a really exciting company. We liked the team, the depth of the product, and the traction with customers. The firm is solving a key pain point in regulated production lines worth millions of pounds in savings."

AddParts website
Venture.Community wesbite

Images: AddParts

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News: Plans in for former Wetherspoons in Rotherham town centre

A large vacant pub building in Rotherham town centre could be brought back into use, if newly submitted plans are approved.

At the top of the heritage High Street, the distinctive marble-covered former bank at 35-37 was for many years a fixture on the nighttime circuit in Rotherham town centre, having been converted into a pub and operated by Wetherspoons and others until it closed for good in December 2024.

Known previously as the Litten Tree and the Corn Law Rhymer, new owners are hoping to secure a change of use so that residential uses can be introduced on all floors.

The plans from Rhythm Properties Ltd show that 27 apartments will be created over the four floors and a new retail unit will be created at ground floor level.

A company called Foundry Housing, a social and supported housing provider, has recently launched from the premises.

The apartments will be laid out around two staircases. The High Street entrance provides an existing staircase to first floor level (to be retained, although handrails will be provided) with the existing stair to second floor level to be removed and replaced with a new staircase.

The Moorgate Street entrance will be altered and the existing staircase in this area removed. A new compliant staircase is to be provided and three ground floor apartments will be created that are designed to be wheelchair accessible units.

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A balcony and a private courtyard will be created for some of the units on the upper floors.

Externally, the 1960's design will remain with the glazing on Moorgate Street set to be replaced by a new façade to be added on the inside to provide a thermal wall and windows, with the new façade to be rendered. The cash machine point that is no longer in use would be reconfigured to provide refuse storage.

The building is not a listed building but sits within the town centre conservation area.

Planning policies don't generally permit housing on the ground floor in shopping areas of Rotherham town centres. The applicant plans to convert the main pub area into a smaller commercial unit and three flats, arguing that the alternative would just create more vacant commercial units in the area or be abandoned until policies change.

Built for Yorkshire Bank and opening in 1968, the building is on the site of the long-standing Crown Inn which was first recorded in 1605.

At 15,195 sq ft, the applicant states that pub operators have found the building unviable due to operating costs and its size.

The plans state that since Wetherspoons put the pub up for sale in 2015 there has been "various attempts to open the building for hospitality from large pub chains to smaller independent operators and has failed as a viable enterprise at every hurdle, with the businesses lasting a very short amount of time until forced to closed given the buildings operating overheads and local competition."

The freehold of the building was last up for sale with offers in the region of £295,000 expected.

Rothbiz reported in January on plans to introduce residential units at the historic buiding next door known as Essoldo Chambers.

Foundry Housing

Images: Savills / Everard Cole

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