News: Public realm for site of All Saints' Building in Rotherham town centre

The cabinet of Rotherham Borough Council has agreed for a proposal to be put forward for a public relam development on the site of the All Saints' Building in Rotherham town centre.

Planning permission was approved in November for a contemporary four-storey building comprising office accommodation, retail/leisure space car parking spaces on the important Rotherham Renaissance site.

The cabinet heard that as the recession had deepened there was increased concern that the retail space proposed on the ground floor of a new build would not be filled when the new building opened for business.

Developers Iliad, have informed the Council that they are not prepared to develop the new offices because they were very unlikely to achieve a 60% level of pre-let in the new build and that in the current economic climate private sector funding would be very difficult to secure without a major pre-let.

The cabinet also discussed that the view of All Saints Minster had created a groundswell of public opinion that the Council should landscape the site, create public realm and leave the view of the Minster

Cabinet members agreed with officers who are of the view that the public realm option offers Rotherham an opportunity to improve the setting of the Minster and address the negative impact of poor public realm in Rotherham Town Centre, though they expressed concern about the long term implications for this site should it be required in the event of an economic upturn.

A meeting is being held at Clifton Park Museum on July 15 at 5pm to discuss the proposals.

Rotherham Renaissance website
Rotherham

Images: Flickr/Blade Man