News: Rotherham's YES! Project moves to final stage

Property developer Oak Holdings have announced that the cabinet of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has approved heads of terms for the £350m YES! scheme and terms for a 250-year lease. The futuristic scheme will transform 327 acres of former coalfield land adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park to create Europe's largest covered leisure based development and the approval is set to boost Oak's drive to attract further tenants. Leading extreme-sport company Venture Xtreme and high-tech golf driving-range specialist Baydrive Group are already signed up, while others have expressed strong interest. Planning consent was granted in January 2007. As well as golf and sports attractions, it will include a unique combination of major indoor entertainment facilities, four-star resort spa and conference hotel, exhibition centre, restaurants, bars, cafés and shops related to activities there. Oak has also formed two strategic partnerships – with BT and power giant E.ON. In addition to creating 3,000 permanent jobs and 2,000 construction jobs, the council’s strategic director of Environment & Development Services, Karl Battersby, said: “YES! will also broaden the tourist appeal of the whole region to visitors from home and abroad, bringing in new income for the area’s businesses.”
YES! website
Oak Holdings website
The Business Desk article
Yorkshire Post article
Rotherham