News: Rotherham United stadium land deal moves forward

Rotherham Council is pressing ahead with a large-scale regeneration project that will enable Rotherham United to build a new community stadium on the edge of the town centre.

The council is confident that the project will have a big impact on the continued regeneration of the area and provide a boost to the town, the fans, residents and town centre businesses.


The proposals would not just create a community stadium but provide high-quality buildings, public spaces and the opportunity for further facilities to be provided within the site, an enhanced vibrancy to the town centre, opportunities for learning and local employment during the construction period, community-based sports-learning and improved pedestrian links.

In April, the council's Cabinet agreed with officers' recommendation that the council buy 10.85 acres at the Guest and Chrimes site from Evans of Leeds, which has cleared and prepared the site for development.

The club themselves has secured 4.5 acres of adjacent land where the former Gloystarne distribution warehouse is situated.

Proposals have now been approved by Cllr Gerald Smith, the council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation to reallocate funding in order to cover a £500,000 funding gap created by the coalition Government's cuts in public spending.

The acquisition was to be funded by the Local Authority Reward Grant. Due to its achievement of a number of stretch targets under the 2006-09 Local Area Agreement (LAA), Rotherham was expecting to receive around £6m.

Proposals were put forward in a paper by Simeon Leach, economic strategy manager at Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RiDO) that indicate that £2m of funding will be used to ensure that the land can be acquired.

The paper also states that the council will purchase the land, but it is the responsibility of the football club to secure the finance for the construction of the stadium.

Rotherham United has submitted its formal outline planning application for the new 12,000 all-seater stadium and it is hoped that the planning application will be determined in the Autumn so that the next stages of the process, which will include the detailed proposals for the design of the stadium, can take place.

This will allow the new stadium to be built for the start of the 2012/13 season.

The stadium will stand next to the council's own new civic offices, now under construction at Guest and Chrimes, on Main Street.

Rotherham United website

Images: Rotherham United / Signet Planning