Following announcements from the likes of McLaren and Boeing, enquiries from manufacturing occupiers looking at the Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) have increased, leading property agents, Knight Frank, has confirmed.
The firm's LOGIC report identifies regional level commentary on occupier and investment market trends in UK the industrial and logistics sector. For South Yorkshire in the first half of 2017, the report shows that the success of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham is raising further interest from potential occupiers.
Last week it was announced that Harworth Group, the owner and developer of the AMP, had signed a 20 year lease with supercar manufacturer, McLaren for its new £50m facility. The 75,000 sq ft McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) will enable the development and manufacture of the Monocell and Monocage carbon fibre chassis. The centre is set to create more than 200 jobs.
It was also announced that it had signed a 15-year lease with an unnamed advanced manufacturer for a new 11,044 sq ft unit at the AMP.
Over the Parkway, US aerospace giant, Boeing, has secured planning permission for a 66,000 sq ft facility alongside the University of Sheffield's Factory 2050. The £20m production facility will enable Boeing to bring the manufacture of key high-tech actuation components and systems used in the Next-Generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 aircraft in-house.
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The report from Knight Frank highlights that the region is performing 27% ahead of the five year average with take-up being driven by a variety of sectors. Take-up is also 63% above the level in the same period last year.
Tom Swallow, senior surveyor at Knight Frank, said: "While third party logistics continues to dominate demand for large distribution units, enquiries from manufacturing occupiers across the Advanced Manufacturing District have increased, driven by the success of the Advanced Manufacturing Park, which is attracting inward investment to the region."
The lack of stock has seen a return to speculative development, including Harworth's R-evolution development on the AMP. Local developer, E V Waddington Ltd has also seen continued success at its Aldwarke development in Rotherham and has recently had plans approved for 57,000 sq ft of industrial space on a remaining 1.15 hectare parcel of land at nearby Northfields, close to Parkgate.
Looking ahead, Knight Frank expects that rents will continue to grow with more speculative development being delivered across the region as occupiers demand higher quality stock. Although small unit schemes are less viable more are being delivered with the assistance of grant support - such as at Vantage Park Phase II - another Waddington development.
The agents added that it expects to see increased development of large industrial units over 50,000 sq ft as the supply of stock diminishes and as enquiry levels increase following redevelopment of sites for higher value uses.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) has received planning approval for a £20m production facility in the emerging Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID).
Announced in February, the new facility, to be named Boeing Sheffield, will enable Boeing to bring the manufacture of key high-tech actuation components and systems used in the Next-Generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 aircraft in-house, enhancing production efficiency and reducing costs.
Trailing edge actuation systems are responsible for extending and retracting the wing's flaps during different phases of flight. The flaps add lift to enable take-off and landing at lower speeds and provide drag to help slow the aircraft.
Sheffield City Council has approved the plans for a manufacturing and research building along with ancillary car parking and landscaping on the Sheffield Business Park (SBP), ironically for a factory making advanced parts for airplanes, at the end of where the runway once was at Sheffield's former airport.
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James Needham, senior operations manager for Boeing Sheffield, said: "We are pleased that Sheffield City Council has approved Boeing's planning application for Boeing Sheffield. It will be located on a site adjacent to the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District.
"Boeing Sheffield will produce actuation systems for commercial aeroplanes, specifically the Next-Generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 and will employ more than 30 people when it opens in late 2018.
"We also plan to place additional actuation systems work into Boeing Portland in Oregon, in the United States which will further build on their demonstrated capabilities. We are grateful to the Sheffield and Rotherham communities for supporting our planning application and we look forward to drawing on local talent and suppliers to make Boeing Sheffield a success."
Sir Nigel Knowles, Chair of the Sheffield City Region (SCR) Local Enterprise Partnership, added: "This multi-million-pound investment is fantastic news and further endorses the region's credentials as a global centre for innovation-inspired advanced manufacturing.
"A lot of people across the region have worked in partnership to help bring this investment about and it will play to the strengths of our supply chain and skilled workforce."
The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority agreed a £5.75m grant from the Business Investment Fund to support the inward investment. It has "strategic significance," not least because of Boeing's global recognition but in the 104 supply-chain jobs that are expected to be created as a result of the move.
The production unit at Boeing Sheffield will create approximately 10,000 pieces per month. One line will manufacture housings from aluminium castings and the other will manufacture gears from steel bar.
Ground breaking is proposed for September with production coming on stream in late 2018.
A unique partnership between Rotherham Council and construction companies, Fortem and Mears, has played a key role in creating a new home for homelessness charity, Shiloh.
An official opening ceremony recently took place at the old Weighbridge building on Station Road, with Rotherham's Mayor Cllr Eve Rose Keenan also unveiling a special plaque commemorating Shiloh's 25 years serving the local community.
Moving from Sheffield Road to the council's former weighbridge at Masbrough, the facility will provide support to vulnerable people who are going through a difficult period in their lives, including homelessness, by providing them with the life skills needed to get back on their feet.
Meanwhile, the Big Lottery funding will enable Shiloh to expand its work, as well as help the organisation provide around 20,000 meals a year.
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John McDonnell, Chairman for Shiloh (pictured welcoming volunteers and guests), said: "The way that churches, individuals and businesses contributed in various ways to make sure the project was completed was fantastic. Even businesses who would normally be competitors, worked tirelessly together on the project. We asked a decorating company for some rollers and brushes and they sent in a team of decorators.
"RMBC staff left their PCs and desks, rolled up their sleeves to paint, clean and get the place ready. Then there was that lady, who day after day, jumped on a bus to Shiloh, tirelessly cleaning and cleaning everything. The Rotherham community are so kind hearted!"
Fortem and Mears work with Rotherham Council to deliver a repairs and maintenance service to homes across the borough.
Fortem undertook extensive works to the electrics, refurbished the toilet blocks and re-commissioned the heating system, including the installation of a new boiler.
David Coldwell, general manager of Fortem Rotherham, said: "Our work in the communities of Rotherham brings us in contact every day with those who are less fortunate. It has been a pleasure helping Shiloh update their new premises, which will enhance the wellbeing of the residents who use the building and provide a lifeline for those experiencing hardship."
Mears also undertook extensive building and structural works to help transform the premises.
Andrew Chambers, general manager of the Rotherham branch, said: "We are proud to have been part of the transformation of Shiloh's new premises and their continuing journey in supporting local people who find themselves in need.
"We have huge admiration for Shiloh's work and look forward to continuing our work through our partnership with the Council to leave a lasting legacy in the community."
The Howard Building, the derelict former college building in Rotherham town centre, has suffered a large fire which could mean that redevelopment plans have also gone up in smoke.
One person was rescued using a ladder as at least four fire engines attended the scene on Howard Street after being called at 8:40 this morning. The ambulance service and South Yorkshire Police also attended the scene.
Now suffering from vandalism and damaged even before today's fire, the prominent four storey building opened in the 1930's. It previously operated as part of the college and also housed the council's environmental health teams and a day nursery before being sold prior to going to auction in 2014.
Revised plans to convert the historic building into self-contained studios and apartments were approved by the planning board at Rotherham Council in 2015.
With little evidence of the conversion into twelve, one bed apartments and 60 studio apartments at "Howard Residencies", applicants, AVRO Developments headed into insolvency, with Rotherham Council leading the petition in 2015 to have the company wound up - likely to be for non-payment of business rates.
Cllr. Emma Hoddinott, cabinet member for Waste, Roads and Community Safety at Rotherham Council, tweeted how she was "angry about how private owner has let this happen" adding that the "council has already taken enforcement action against them."
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Crown Union Ltd and DS7 Ltd submitted plans earlier this year to amend the scheme but they have not yet been approved. A company called 2380 REVERSIONS LTD is now responsible for paying rates on the building.
AVRO, Crown Union Ltd, DS7 Ltd and 2380 REVERSIONS LTD all share directors and links to previous "dubious" property investment schemes.
Rothbiz reported last year how the Rotherham scheme is linked to Absolute Living Developments, Fresh Start Living and Empirical Property, all highlighted in the media as leaving buy-to-let investors out of pocket.
Howard Residencies is currently being offered as an investment opportunity by Crown Union. It is offered as an "Ideal purchase for investors looking at UK Buy To Let's as a way of getting onto the first rung of the property investment ladder. From dynamic apartment layouts to classic period façade and stonework surrounds, this redevelopment brings together Rotherham past and present to create a truly unique place to live for post-graduates, young professionals & key workers."
Starter pads and 1 bed apartments are being offered at £51,449 and £72,049 with an 8% ROI per annum.
Although not listed, the Howard Building is however highlighted in Rotherham Civic Society's local list of buildings which are considered to be of definite quality and character. It reads: "Built at a cost of £87,000, of which £9,000 was contributed by the Miners Welfare Committee, it was designed by Messrs Scott & Sons of Norwich. Although built primarily of red brick it incorporates probably the most extensive use of Portland Stone of any building in the Town Centre."
Business leaders in Rotherham are urging South Yorkshire's politicians to seal the £900m Sheffield city region devolution deal with the Government.
As part of a deal with central government, a Mayoral Combined Authority is set to be created, building on the 2013 agreement which saw the nine local authorities that comprise the city region create a new legal body with responsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration.
Following withdrawals from councils who had originally intended to become constituent members, and with others wanting to secure the best possible devolution deal for their area, the combined authority (CA) has delayed a decision on a way forward.
Echoing the calls made by Sir Nigel Knowles, chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, the Chambers in Rotherham & Barnsley, and Sheffield, are putting forward their views, along with their members, to local council bosses on pressing ahead with the deal. Concerns have been raised over the loss of funding, the impact on business confidence and that continued delays risk portraying the region as "failing and dysfunctional."
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A draft letter from Andrew Denniff, the chief executive of the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, and Richard Wright, his counterpart at Sheffield Chamber, has been circulated in order for members to add their support.
The letter reads: "We strongly consider that the citizens and businesses of our Region deserve better than to see uncertainty by our leaders jeopardising the prospect of us obtaining the significant additional funding, which is part of the devolved powers package.
"Our Region cannot be allowed to stand still or go backwards. Nor can we be allowed to be portrayed as a "failing and dysfunctional" Region. This is of significant concern for the development of South Yorkshire and for the continuation and expansion of the positive steps forward we have taken in recent years.
"We understand that there is a desire among some of you to explore a pan-Yorkshire deal in preference to completing the South Yorkshire deal, which remains on the table. Not only do we consider the Government has made clear its opposition to such a county-wide deal, we believe that, even if it was available, it is far less beneficial to our Region at this time, than proceeding to develop our South Yorkshire economy independently, to position us more strongly as a confident economic force, both within the Yorkshire Region and in comparison to other UK city regions.
"A Yorkshire deal may emerge as a possibility in the years ahead, but surely we will be better placed to be a strong component of that, should it arise, if we push ahead to really strengthen South Yorkshire first.
"We believe delay in clarifying future intentions now risks us falling further behind other UK regions. This can not be sensible and we ask you to come together urgently to resolve your differences and act collectively in the best interests of South Yorkshire and its citizens."
Last year, the Presidents of both Sheffield and Barnsley & Rotherham Chambers of Commerce announced an intention to promote a greater sense of partnership between the two organisations. The move reflects a desire to work as a "regional chamber movement" across South Yorkshire, ensuring powerful representation of the local business community in a time of devolution.
Enterprising businesses in Rotherham and the wider Sheffield city region (SCR) are being offered the chance to pitch to some of China's wealthiest investors.
The SCR is co-hosting the Horasis Global China Business Meeting 2017. From November 5 - 6 over 300 participants from business and government will attend this intense two-day programme, designed for senior decision makers from China and the world, to identify business opportunities and economic development.
Added to the programme is a unique version of the successful Y-Accelerator programme which involves entrepreneurs going through an intense course of advice and support in order to become "investor-ready."
Now, businesses based in the SCR wanting to expand into the Chinese market or to secure investment to accelerate growth are being urged to apply for the programme and the chance to pitch at the high profile event.
Start-ups with sufficient market validation are also being encouraged and ten businesses will be selected to participate, starting in early September.
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Over the course of an intensive eight weeks, potential pitch makers will commit to 1-2 days/week to work with the Y-Accelerator team and a network of leading business specialists.
The aim is to develop customer focused solutions, prototype concepts, pitch and accelerate ideas to market with a focus on China and ultimately grow a sustainable business.
All ten businesses will pitch at an investor event held in conjunction with the University of Sheffield's Business Innovation Network (BIN) at the end of October. Of these, four will then be selected to pitch at the Horasis event.
The event follows on from a recent pilot enterprise initiative (pictured) that exceeded expectations. The Y-Accelerator programme was developed by RiDO, the regeneration arm of Rotherham Council that provides business support and incubation space. The UKSE Y-Accelerator, launched by Y-Accelerator and UK Steel Enterprise and funded by the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub, included a 12-week development initiative from RiDO and a final pitch event where four of the eight companies taking part were offered finance.
The success of the pilot has led to RIDO, the regeneration arm of Rotherham Council, working up proposals with the Growth Hub and private sector partners to operate five more accelerator programmes over the next two years. A bid has been submitted for EU funding to support the project.
A proposed new order, enforced with on-the-spot fines, is set to address the concerns of businesses about the perceived level of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Rotherham town centre.
Consultation is underway around a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Rotherham town centre and Clifton Park after the Council said that it continues to receive complaints about a minority of people who behave in an unacceptable way. 2016 saw 824 recorded incidences of ASB in the town centre area.
A PSPO introduces a number of prohibitions to address the anti-social behaviour of individuals visiting these areas. By outlining these prohibitions it makes it clear what kind of behaviour is acceptable in the town centre.
Conditions have been drafted in direct response to the concerns raised by the public, partners, businesses and councillors. They include: behaving in such a way or using language that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to another person; drinking alcohol other than in a licensed premises or event; spitting and using or carrying illegal drugs.
Any individual in breach of the PSPO would be subject to a £100 penalty. Those that failed to pay this would be liable for prosecution.
If authorised, the order would commence in Autumn 2017 and is initially set to run for three years.
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A report to the Council states: "Concerns have been raised from town centre businesses; the public; ward members; partners; public forums; the Town Centre Partnership Group and others regarding antisocial behaviour (ASB) in Rotherham Town Centre. The identified issues relate to persistent street drinking; littering; dogs running free (unleashed); people sleeping rough; rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour and drug related issues.
"While the town centre does have a small residential population, ASB in this location generally has an overarching impact on local businesses by reducing the visiting number of shoppers. This in turn makes the town centre less appealing to new business ventures, commercial growth, the creation of new jobs, prosperity and general appearance of the main commercial centre.
"Whilst ASB is subjective in that it affects different people in different ways, consideration has to be given by the Council to those that are most threatened by it. The proposed PSPO advocates for those individuals by clearly defining what behaviour the Council is willing to accept and what it is not; and to put in place the appropriate enforcement resources with its partners to supervise the Order."
Rotherham Council has recently started working in partnership with private sector contractors, Kingdom who have two officers deployed to enforce against littering in the town centre using the Environmental Protection Act (EPA).
As the table above shows, Rotherham town centre has experienced lower levels of crime and ASB than other nearby towns and cities but Alan Heppenstall of the Council's Community Safety Unit, explains: "Very often the climate of an area cannot be measured using quantitative statistical data alone, but is reliant on the anecdotal qualitative experience of stakeholders. Therefore, the evidence used to shape the prohibitions of a given PSPO can be used both to address actual ASB incidents as well as those aspects that are difficult to measure; relating more to the way the town centre feels and is perceived by those visiting it."
Consultation on the proposed PSPO runs until August 16 2017.
Evenort Ltd, the Rotherham-based precision engineering company, has announced that it has acquired Alexander Comley, the almost 100 year, midlands based manufacturer of large flanged product, out of administration.
With its headquarters and production facility at Dinnington, Evenort is a market leader in the machining and processing of stainless steel and nickel alloys to high tolerances.
Alexander Comley was established in 1920 and subsequently became one of the pioneers of stainless steel manufacturing. Today, its tubesheets, flanges and pipe fittings are used in the global oil and gas, defence and marine, petrochemical, power generation, and process plant industries.
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Evenort said that the purchase will better serve the existing customer base across the UK and internationally by allowing the newly formed group to offer a single source for all product.
Administrators were called in earlier this month but Alexander Comley's diversification into tubesheets for heat exchanges, filter plates for the filtration/separation industries with significant, £500.000 investments in machinery, is expected to provide a synergy for both companies that mean they are similar, yet different enough to complement one another.
Glen McKay, MD at Evenort, said: "We maintain a long term vision and strive to meet all challenges with the courage and creativity needed to realise that vision."
Craig McKay, CEO at Evenort, added: "Continuing the values on which Evenort is ran, the opportunity to acquire such a historic name from the British steel industry is one we feel will be of benefit to both existing and future customers. Alexander Comley and Evenort will, over the coming months, form a group which will continue to evolve the "can do – will do" approach our customers have come to expect. Very exciting times lie ahead for us all"
American firm, ICD Alloys & Metals LLC has extended its reach into the European market having opened a newly established subsidiary ICD Europe Ltd in Rotherham.
Founded in 1952 as a global merchant for bulk chemicals, ICD Group has diversified into a major international conglomerate. The New York headquarted group has its Alloys and Metals division in North Carolina which specialises in the processing, preparation and supply of primary and secondary materials into the aerospace, medical, petrochemical, electronics, wear part and industrial gas industries.
The new subsidiary has taken 10,200 sq ft at the Aldwarke Business Park where it will supply the European market with nickel and cobalt super alloys, tantalum, hafnium, rhenium, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, ferro-alloys, rare earth elements as well as various intermediates and oxides of these products.
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The Aldwarke development was built speculatively by Rotherham-based developer, E V Waddington Ltd, a specialist in brownfield development.
The facility is now fully equipped to handle the processing and handling of super alloys, prime metals and ferro-alloys and is also capable of vacuum preparation.
Wayne Hawkes, managing director at ICD Europe Ltd, told AMM: "The opportunity of capturing and reacting to a buoyant European market along with timing was and is absolutely critical. Consumers need, want and demand a proactive supplier that able to react to just-in-time deliveries.
"Through the expansion into Europe, the company aims to improve its flexibility and its ability to service and adapt quickly to evolving customer needs.
"I have been in the industry 19 years but the newly formed ICD Europe Ltd is a really exciting expansion. The wealth of knowledge, technical experience and the full backing of our facilities in North Carolina and offices in China gives us something different to bring to the market."
The Government could force Rotherham Council to implement a "Clean Air Zone" in the borough - including the prospect of charging polluting vehicles to use congested roads.
Consultation has recently completed on national plans to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide around roads within the shortest possible time - described as the most immediate air quality challenge.
The Draft UK Air Quality Plan for tackling nitrogen dioxide includes measures to invest in road improvements to ease congestion, accelerate the uptake low-emission vehicles, retrofit technology to vehicles, promote cycling and walking and invest in bus services.
The plan also includes the action to "Mandate local authorities to implement Clean Air Zones (CAZs) within the shortest possible time."
The zones involve "targeted action to improve air quality as well as being prioritised and coordinated in a way that delivers improved health benefits and supports economic growth."
Following an announcement that five areas where to have a Clean Air Zone, the new plan suggests that they should be expanded to "all areas of exceedance where they could feasibly be implemented, reflecting the latest evidence on emissions from diesel vehicles."
Rotherham (alongside Sheffield and Doncaster) is one of 38 English local authorities with one or more roads forecast persistently to exceed NO2 legal limits based on initial modelling. The analysis in the consultation looks at an expansion from five CAZs, plus London, to a further 21 by 2020.
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The zones fall into two categories, non-charging and charging. In non-charging CAZs, a range of local actions on any source of air pollution could be instigated, such as car sharing, cycling schemes, or park and ride schemes.
In addition to the actions above, charging CAZs place additional access restrictions on vehicles that do not meet the set standards of the zone by requiring them to pay a charge to enter. Charges are not a required part of CAZ proposals and would only be expected where equally effective alternatives are not identified.
Based on Euro standards for expected emissions, vehicles that are generally older and produced before tougher standards were brought in, would be expected to pay to enter the zones. Only certain zones would charge for cars and motorcycles alongside HGVs, LGVs, buses and taxis.
The consultation concludes that establishing Clean Air Zones is the most effective way to bring the UK into compliance with NO2 concentration levels in the shortest possible time.
Charging CAZs are expected to lead to a change in the composition of the vehicles entering the zone, resulting in high polluting vehicles operating within the zone largely being replaced with cleaner vehicles.
The consultation admits that the implementation of CAZs is "likely to have a significant effect on businesses, which may have an impact on economic growth, as indicative analysis suggests that CAZs will target buses, coaches and taxis in 27 cities, HGVs in 23 cities and LGVs in 20. These vehicles are principally owned by businesses.
"More specifically, the CAZ charge will primarily affect businesses who own older vehicles that would be subject to the charge, and who enter the proposed CAZs on a relatively frequent basis. Businesses' ability to respond will depend on a number of circumstances. The main factors are the availability of funds to upgrade their non-compliant vehicle or pay the charge; flexibility to change behaviour in another way such as switching to an alternative mode of transport (e.g. train); rerouting to travel outside the CAZ; or redeploying their older vehicles to other areas of the country.
"In general, larger businesses would be expected to have more capacity to manage the impacts both financially and operationally. In contrast, smaller businesses, particularly sole traders who are dependent on using their vehicle within a CAZ, may be less able to adjust behaviour and continue into the zone."
Transport for London (TfL), which operates a congestion charge found that the transport and storage, construction sectors and commuter services were those likely to be most impacted.
Measures to mitigate individuals and businesses affected by the charge include scrappage, retrofit, and grants for Ultra Low Emission Vehicles.
The consultation adds that: "CAZs should also deliver benefits to economic growth through improved air quality. This would reduce the number of absences from work, distracted performance or employee deaths, which all impact on business productivity. The policy would also stimulate demand for new vehicles,
which will have a positive impact on vehicle manufacturers and therefore encourage economic growth."
The analysis of roads that exceed the pollutant levels does not include roads managed by Highways England, like the M1, where users are restricted to travelling at lower than 70mph during peak times in an effort to address air quality issues.
Rotherham Council has previously declared seven Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) where polluntant concentration standards are not being met.
Construction on the new £50m facility for supercar manufacturer, McLaren is due to commence at the Rotherham site next month, with an unnamed advanced manufacturer set to join them.
Plans were approved in April for a 75,000 sq ft development on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham that will enable the development and manufacture of the Monocell and Monocage carbon fibre chassis used in future McLaren models. These carbon fibre "tubs" are now in their second generation and have recently been unveiled as the key feature of McLaren's new 720S.
The centre is set to create more than 200 jobs and will comprise approximately 150 production staff and 50 manufacturing support staff.
Harworth Group plc, the brownfield regeneration and property investment specialist that owns the site has announced that McLaren has signed a conditional twenty-year lease for the McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC).
To be designed and built by Harworth, The new unit is being built on Harworth's next phase of employment land known as AMPlify @ The AMP, with unit construction due to commence on site in August 2017. McLaren is expected to take occupation of the new unit in summer 2018, following practical completion.
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At the same time, McLaren and the University of Sheffield are delivering a two-year research and development programme. The first pre-production chassis, built using trial manufacturing processes in the nearby University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, is expected to be delivered to the McLaren Technology Centre in the second half of 2017.
The company also has an objective of producing more than 4,500 vehicles annually by the end of 2022. Motoring magazine, Autocar, is reporting that the facility will have the capacity to make up to 10,000 carbonfibre tubs each year and that Mclaren is considering producing carbonfibre for other car manufacturers.
McLaren Automotive and the McLaren Technology Group recently announced that theyare being brought together under one corporate structure to be called the McLaren Group. It came after Ron Dennis CBE reached agreement with his fellow shareholders to sell his shareholding in both companies.
The AMPlify development has the potential to deliver 465,000 sq ft of new employment space. It includes plots for units ranging from 25,000 sq ft to circa 200,000 sq ft and will build on the award-winning scheme's success by offering Design & Build opportunities aimed at high-value advanced manufacturers and their supply chains.
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Harworth has also announced that it has signed a 15-year lease with an unnamed advanced manufacturer for a new 11,044 sq ft unit at the AMP. The unit was speculatively constructed and the lease was completed within eight weeks of practical completion. Six new units totalling 52,068 sq ft were completed as part of the park's R-evolution development.
The AMP is on the larger Waverley development in Rotherham. Here, Harworth, which was formed in the restructure of what was UK Coal, has sold 8.17 acres to Taylor Wimpey, for the construction of a further 130 houses. This is Taylor Wimpey's third purchase of land at Waverley, following previous land purchases in 2013 and 2015 for a total of 192 plots.
Harworth said that it plans to complete further residential sales at Waverley in the second half of 2017, reflecting the underlying strength of Yorkshire's housing market.
Owen Michaelson, chief executive officer at Harworth Group plc, said: "This announcement continues to demonstrate the fundamental strength of our regional residential and commercial markets. We are delighted to welcome McLaren to the AMP and to be able to support them in their ongoing growth.
"The two announced lease agreements serve as further examples of how we are improving the quality of our income base as we continue to deliver NAV [net asset value] growth across the portfolio. We are maintaining development momentum at the AMP and demand for new units remains high, with the McLaren deal demonstrating how the Harworth offering has evolved to incorporate the design and build of specialist purpose built units on behalf of blue-chip occupiers.
"The sale of residential plots to Taylor Wimpey marks our ninth sale of engineered housing land on Waverley. This will add to the 650 homes that have already built and occupied on the site since 2012, reflecting good demand for our engineered brownfield land from housebuilders."
A Rotherham-based gym has expanded the services it provides since receiving funding from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) Kickstart Fund.
New business owner of Pivotal Fitness, Rob Newton, who bought the business in February 2017, arrived eager to develop the gym and improve the calibre of classes that it provides.
Based at Parkgate, the gym houses six personal training consultants.
The funding from UKSE allowed Rob to purchase "MyZone" equipment, a group heart-rate-tracking wearable piece of equipment, which the trainers have found particularly useful in fitness classes and personal training sessions. Alongside this, Rob has invested in new signage and branded items of clothing for the members of Pivotal Fitness to purchase.
Pivotal Fitness now works with a growing customer base in and around South Yorkshire and has a formidable social media presence, which Rob utilises to further increase his clientele.
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Rob Newton, owner of Pivotal Fitness (pictured, left), said: "There has been a real improvement to the ways in which we operate since receiving the £500 funding from UKSE – we've been able to focus on making our services better, but also getting our name out there with branded kit and marketing collateral.
"We have introduced a new class timetable with a greater number of classes each day, which has allowed us to increase the number of clients and booked classes significantly, utilising social media to really push our brand.
"The £500 investment from UK Steel Enterprise has really helped us mature our services and we are all looking forward to seeing how much progress we can make in the coming year."
UK Steel Enterprise, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, was launched in 1975 to support the economic development of steel industry areas. Launched in February 2016 by UKSE, with support from RIDO and Rotherham Youth Enterprise, the Kickstart Fund consists of a £40,000 pot dedicated to supporting people looking to establish a business in the area with grants between £500 and £1,000.
Allan Wood of UKSE (pictured, centre), said: "Rob has demonstrated an admirable drive to expand Pivotal Fitness and ensure he puts the investment to great use, keeping his clients at the core of his focus.
"We're very much looking forward to see how Pivotal Fitness grows over the next year."
A new trial to provide a direct bus service from Sheffield and Rotherham to Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) is set to start in September.
The fast growing airport is experience an increase in passenger numbers since signing a partnership with Flybe which has brought more low cost flights and provided access to more European hubs.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures show that the airport has seen a 43.1% growth with rolling passenger numbers of 1.3m between April 1 2016 and March 31 2017, making it the fastest growing airport, with over 1m passengers, in the country.
Bus operator, Stagecoach has now registered a new application to run a service from Sheffield Interchange to the airport, calling at Wickersley and Bramley in Rotherham.
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Further details of the route have yet to be announced but the new direct service is set to start on September 2.
Stagecoach, which has a depot at Rawmarsh in Rotherham, already operates similar services at airports around the UK. Labelled "737," the new limited stop service would provide direct early morning and evening journeys connecting with flights.
Last month, a £10.55m project started on the newest section of Great Yorkshire Way which will complete the direct link from the motorway network to the airport.
The main section - a three mile link from junction three of the M18 to the A638 Bawtry Road – opened in February 2016 and has brought an extra one million potential passengers to within a 60 minute drive of the airport. The road cuts journey times to Sheffield city centre to 25 minutes.
A study has also been commissioned to determine the feasibility and strategic business case for a potential rail link to the the East Coast Mainline.
Steve Gill, chief executive of Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: "The Airport has just experienced its busiest year on record. Great Yorkshire Way is already attracting new passengers from across Yorkshire and the North Midlands as they benefit from reduced journey times and recognise the superb customer experience that we offer.
"Our passengers are enjoying the increased choice available with new and existing carriers, most notably the introduction of low fares carrier Flybe which recently celebrated one year of operation and is proving particularly popular.
"Doncaster Sheffield Airport is one of few regional airport sites in the UK which offers unconstrained physical and airspace capacity with the existing runway able to accommodate a throughput of 25 million passengers per annum, providing an international gateway serving the east side of the country.
"An airport station could mean London is less than 80 minutes train travel away, and in many places quicker than travelling across to Heathrow or Gatwick on already congested routes."
Innovative Rotherham company, Martek Marine, has been selected by UNICEF and the Vanuatu Government to demonstrate its capability for vaccine delivery by drone.
Based at Manvers, Martek is one of the world leaders in the supply of safety and environmental monitoring systems for the shipping industry. It has expanded into different areas including the medical sector, supplying defibrillators to airlines and leisure and sport venues.
Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are becoming incredibly useful tools for marine and offshore companies with Martek supplying marine-specific drones that are developed to fly inside confined spaces and outdoors, making them ideal for safety inspections on tanks as well as offshore structures such as wind turbines and flare stacks.
Drones are already being used in humanitarian response around the world. An unprecedented number of small and lightweight UAVs were launched in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. They were used in Haiti following Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Showcasing its technology, Martek will self-fund a trial which will take place on Efate Island next month.
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Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands separated over 1,600 km. 65 islands are inhabited, and with many only accessed by boat, mobile vaccination teams are frequently required to walk to communities carrying all equipment to undertake the vaccination for children and communities in remote areas. The climate, lack of infrastructure and topography make this an arduous task. Vanuatu's health facilities are constantly faced with a frequent lack of stock.
The trial aims to assess technologies and proven safe operators that can help reduce the vaccine supply chain disruption and enhance service delivery, without requiring massive investment in infrastructure and transport. It will also provide the opportunity to explore and understand the wider application and potential of UAVs in the Pacific region long term.
Paul Luen, CEO at Martek, said: "The opportunity to deploy our unique capabilities for the good of the people of Vanuatu was an opportunity we had to grasp. Our proven BVLOS [Beyond Visual Line of Sight] expertise and the manned aviation standards which we operate our business to, make us an ideal long-term delivery partner. We're certain we'll deliver UNICEF and the Vanuatu Government a reliable UAS cargo delivery service to enable long-term deployment at national level."
Sheldon Yett, Pacific representative from UNICEF, added: "UNICEF is excited to work with the Government of Vanuatu to support this initiative. Ensuring vaccines are consistently available in isolated and remote communities is one of the keys to sustaining high rates of immunisation. We welcome innovative measures to ensure that every child is reached."
George Taleo, director general of the Ministry of Health in Vanuatu, added: "This is a milestone for Vanuatu. If the trial shows that vaccine delivery using drones can work, and that it can be integrated into our existing national and provincial systems, then it will change the way we operate forever."
Last year Martek won a €10m (£8.58m) framework contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to monitor pollution in Europe's waters using drones. It followed it up by being named as part of a €67m (£58m) contract to support the work of Coast Guards using drones.
Yorkshire is the UK region with the fastest growth in job numbers in the manufacturing sector but investment by firms has taken a knock following the uncertainty caused by Britain leaving the EU.
A new report from EEF, the manufacturers' organisation and BDO LLP, the accountancy and business advisory firm, shows that, at 12.3%, the region has experienced the fastest growth in manufacturing jobs of any UK region since 2010.
The annual report – Regional Manufacturing Outlook – draws in survey data and the latest ONS figures to provide a longer-term and in-depth picture of the health of UK manufacturing.
The statistics show that:
- In March 2017, there were 293,000 manufacturing jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber - 10.6% of the region's total workforce - There are 11,930 manufacturing businesses, a figure that has remained flat despite the rise in employment numbers - Manufacturing accounts for 15% of Yorkshire's economic output (services accounted for 75%) - The region's productivity is 87.6% of the UK average, the third lowest of all the regions - In 2016, Yorkshire only accounted for 4.8% of the country's manufactured outputs - 54.9% of the region's goods exports go to the EU, the third highest in the UK
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Based on responses to the survey, the report states that manufacturers in Yorkshire and the Humber have seen their output and orders preform reasonably well over the past year, showing a resilient region.
The report also highlights a rebound in the metals sector - the region's second largest sector and a key one in South Yorkshire - that has provided further support to output growth in the last year.
Confidence has improved but Brexit is highlighted as a key issue for respondents reporting negatively for investment. It states: "The region's manufacturers appear to be choosing to recruit more staff to boost production rather than make significant capital investments, with the region posting the highest employment balance of any region for the second half of 2017."
Martyn Jenkins, economist at EEF, said: "The report shows just how important manufacturing is to all regional economies. Hundreds of thousands of people are employed in manufacturing in each region of the UK, and whether that is a large proportion of the workforce, as in the North West, or a small one, like in the South East & London, manufacturing remains a crucial aspect to every region's performance.
"There is clearly some work to be done, notably in closing the gap in productivity performances between regions, in which the higher than average productive manufacturing sector can help, both at a regional and national level."
The EEF is the representative voice of UK manufacturing. It opened new offices in Catcliffe, Rotherham in 2014.
Ibstock plc, a leading manufacturer of clay bricks and concrete products, is searching for a site for a new large factory and has identified its former brickworks at Maltby as a potential location.
With operations in the UK and the United States, Ibstock operates a network of 23 active quarries and has 33 manufacturing plants and six speciality brick assembly sites in the UK.
To meet growing market demands, the company is interested in expanding its base in northern England and has been looking at its property portfolio.
Pre-application discussions have been taking place with Rotherham Council over the potential use of the Maltby site for a 160,000 sq ft facility for the manufacture of concrete tiles and roofing products.
The proposed factory, which would be sited to the North of the former factory, could create over 100 jobs.
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The plc's subsidiary, Forticrete, is a leading manufacturer of concrete substitutes for natural stone walling, dressings and concrete roof tiles, with seven manufacturing plants in the UK. In recent years it has invested nearly £8m to expand capacity at its Leighton Buzzard factory.
Planning documents submitted to Rotherham Council read: "Given there was a brickworks factory at Maltby, which operated for many years prior to its closure in the early 1990's and also considering the excellent transport links with the A631 and M1, the site has been selected as the ideal location in this regard."
The 24 hour operation would see the sand and additives required in the manufacturing process delivered by HGV. Plans estimate that there would be 100 HGV daily movements (50 in and 50 out).
Permission was previously approved for clay extraction but the Green Belt site was due to be reclaimed and the land re-graded by 2025. The site is set to keep its Green Belt status in the borough's Local Plan.
However, earlier this year, members of the planning board at Rotherham Council went against the officer's recommendation not to refuse plans to enable Rotherham logistics firm, The Green Group, to create a new building on the site. The vote came despite planners stating that the development, and 150 jobs, could be located in more preferable locations designated for employment use and not in the Green Belt.
The plans were referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as a departure from the Development Plan but were approved after they were not "called in."
In 2009, Rotherham Council was ordered to pay £780,000 following a lengthy legal battle with Ibstock after the authority was judged to have failed to restore part of the Maltby quarry site having used it for landfill.
For the year ending December 31 2016, Ibstock plc posted a turnover that was up 5% to £435m. Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before taxes) was up 4% to £112m. £103m was from the UK operations.
When publishing its results, the firm said that: "In the UK, demand for building products is anticipated to increase due to Government support for new housebuilding, increasing household formations and population growth. We are investing in the latest technology to increase capacity and to meet the growing market demands."
A new retail unit could replace the former Cranworth Hotel in Eastwood, Rotherham after plans were submitted that would enable the pub to be demolished.
Last year, plans were submitted that would have seen the building converted into a retail outlet by One Stop Stores Limited - the convenience store business that is a subsidiary of Tesco.
Now plans have been submitted with a brief to demolish the existing public house building and erect a new retail unit for a butcher's business that has been trading for many years - the Bismillah Food Store.
The Punch Taverns property had previously been advertised for sale by Barnsdales and detailed plans were first submitted in 2014 as the Eastwood pub was under the threat of closure.
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The plans involved detailed alterations and attracted opposition and a petition of over 1,000 names objecting to the plans as they believed that they would lead to a change of use of the public house to a convenience store.
The plans were refused but the appeal was allowed and planning permission for the alterations was granted. The pub closed in 2015.
The latest application, drawn up by local architect Mark Smith, explains: "At present the client's existing premises are too small and within a row of terraced properties on Grosvenor Road and have become unsuitable. The new premises will generate further employment and an estimate of 12 full time vacancies are to be created.
"The philosophy of our client is to develop a community presence for the retail unit and encouraging the local community. This includes using local suppliers wherever possible and local staff."
The two storey building would have a floor area of 7,700 sq ft and include a sales and preparation area on the ground floor with storage and staff areas above. Seven parking spaces are proposed.
Research by The Rotherham Civic Society shows that The Cranworth Hotel was opened on Fitzwilliam Road in September 1934 and the first landlord was William Humphries.
Rotherham-based Gala Tent Ltd, continues to set out its stall as one of the UK's leading producers of marquees, tents and gazebos, by posting record sales.
Founded in 1999, Gala Tent has grown to sell over 15,000 tents and marquees each year, along with around 100,000 event accessories and furniture products. It grew from a table top operation in Grimethorpe to a company with a turnover of £10m having moved into new 53,000 sq ft headquarters at Fairfield Park in Manvers in 2011.
In June 2016, the company's income for a single month exceeded the £1m mark, for the first time in its operating history. This year, the firm has gone one better and beat the sales for June and posted two £1m months of trading in a row.
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The firm has seen a marked increase in demand for its marquees, gazebos, furniture and printed products from commercial and domestic customers throughout Europe.
With May 2017 also being a £1m sales month, summer 2017 has seen the firm already post a record revenue for a single month and the best ever revenue for the month of June.
Mark Thompson, managing director at Gala Tent, said: "We're over the moon to have broken such a great record. It shows that Gala Tent is still going in the right direction when there are others falling down around us. This kind of achievement should really give our customers great confidence that they are buying from the right place. We're really looking forward to seeing what Summer is going to bring."
The ink is barely dry on the new Rotherham town centre masterplan but further preparatory work is already taking place around key regeneration sites.
Having flattened the former Tesco store on its acquired Forge Island site, Rotherham Council is set to get to work on the pedestrian bridge linking Forge Island to the town centre.
The plan here is for a £43m leisure development anchored by a cinema and hotel – a formal tender will go out in the Autumn. In the short term, the temporary car park is being extended to 500 spaces.
Work begins next week and will be carried out by Peninsula Access Ltd and is expected to last three weeks. It will see the removal of the roof and sides to make the footbridge "light, bright, and airy." The tender for the work had a guide of £30,000.
The footbridge will be closed during this time and the main pedestrian exit will be via the main road bridge on to Market Street. Businesses in the Riverside Precinct will be open as usual and can be accessed from Corporation Street.
Cllr. Denise Lelliott, Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council said the work was being done in response to resident complaints about anti-social behaviour.
She said: "In the longer term, the bridge will be completely replaced as part of the development of Forge Island as a leisure destination. However, shoppers using the Forge Island car park have told us they do not feel safe using the current bridge because it is enclosed so opening it up will make it feel much more welcoming."
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Work is also imminent on demolishing the former Law Courts that have also been acquired by the Council.
At the same time, work will begin in the Corporation Street, Bridge Street and Frederick Street area - identified as a key gateway to the town centre in Rotherham's masterplan - to improve access for cyclists and pedestrians.
Department of Transport funding, obtained through Sheffield City Region, will enable a number of improvements to take place, including new crossing facilities, landscaping and drainage work.
Discussions are continuing around a new dedicated pedestrian footbridge over the River Don linking the train station and Forge Lane / Bridge Street.
Damien Wilson, Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment at Rotherham Council, said: "Promoting sustainable travel and making it easier for people to access the town centre by bike and foot are key to our plans to regenerate the town centre.
"This particular route is part of the Transpennine Trail and National Cycle Network, whilst the train station and new tram-train route is a key gateway into the town. These improvements are part of our overall plans to improve this area of the town and we look forward to seeing a much-improved environment for visitors to enjoy.
"The environmental improvements will have a positive effect on the street scene, creating a brighter, more open and accessible space. We hope that this work, coupled with the progress being made on the nearby derelict buildings, will enhance this busy part of the town centre and make it more attractive to all who use it."
Rapidly expanding engineering design consultancy, Eadon Consulting has secured funding from the UK's innovation agency to develop a new system for decommissioning ageing nuclear facilities.
Eadon works across a number of sectors, with expertise in mechanical, control, hydraulic and structural design and has moved office four times in six years within the AMP Technology Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham due to the growing nature of the business.
Innovate UK's "Integrated Innovation for Nuclear Decommissioning" competition is specifically aimed at unlocking the potential of specialist small engineering companies, to tackle the £85 billion challenge of decommissioning the Sellafield site. Eadon’s proposed system will enable nuclear decommissioning to be conducted faster, more safely, and at reduced cost.
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The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Ltd and Innovate UK allocated up to £3m to fund innovation projects as part of the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI).
Eadon have formed a bespoke team to develop the "Versatile Decommissioning System", bringing together expertise from a range of engineering disciplines. Team members include offshore engineering experts: Red Engineering; scanning and data manipulation experts PES Scanning (also based on the AMP); Sellafield construction experts Westlakes Engineering; The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing and Research Centre (also based on the AMP); and the famous ship builder and fabricator Cammell Laird.
James Hill, company director at Eadon Consulting, said: "As a small company of specialist engineers we are ideally placed to solve problems, our size allows us to innovate and quickly develop new ideas. This funding from the UK's Innovation Agency unlocks our potential, allowing us to really focus on the challenges of decommissioning nuclear facilities.
"Collaborating with other small companies means that we can tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience from lots of different industries and pick out all the most useful bits. Our immediate focus in on decommissioning the nuclear site at Sellafield, but the systems we are developing have huge potential for export all over the world."
The project is set to start in August and run for three months. Work will include developing concept designs for new equipment and exploring new techniques for planning and visualisation of decommissioning tasks. On successful completion of the first phase, Innovate UK will release additional funding to develop full working prototypes and start trialling the new system.
The Nuclear AMRC in Rotherham is already working with Sellafield Ltd to slash the cost of making future designs of waste container boxes, potentially saving hundreds of millions of pounds in decommissioning costs.
Tens of thousands of these 3 cubic metre steel boxes will be needed over the next 30 years with each one costing tens of thousands of pounds to produce using existing manufacturing techniques. The research focuses on the two most promising routes for cost reduction identified by Sellafield Ltd – optimising and automating welding of the container; and producing the lid flanges by casting instead of machining.
Rotherham-based Aardvark Swift has reinforced its standing as one of the UK's top recruitment firms for the video games industry by winning a prestigious award.
Established in 1989, Aardvark Swift was the first recruitment agency to dedicate its services to the mushrooming video games industry. Based at Nightingale Court on the edge of Rotherham town centre, the firm helps major players such as Microsoft, Sony, EA and Nokia recruit the stars of tomorrow. Expanding into new areas such as toys and licensing, managing director Ian Goodall bought the company outright in 2012.
The firm recently picked up the Recruiter Award at the Develop Awards 2017 which aim to celebrate and reward UK and European games developers, focusing purely on creativity, teamwork and inspiring innovation.
In addition to its own achievement, awards were picked up by Aardvark Swift's clients and partners, including Playground Games receiving recognition with the Independent Studio Award and Guerrilla Games being awarded the prestigious title of Studio of the Year.
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Ian Goodall, managing director of Aardvark Swift (pictured, centre), said: "The Develop Awards shines a light on the UK's very best and recognises the hard work that goes into every facet of making a video game.
"We're incredibly grateful and humbled to have won this year's Develop Award for best recruiter, and look forward to helping studios make great games with our award-winning services in the years to come."
The event was held alongside Develop:Brighton, a conference, expo and networking event that brings together the game dev community.
As well as highlighting the industry's best talent, the awards also played host to the Search for a Star prize giving ceremony.
Part of the Grads in Games initiative, Search For A Star is a series of critically acclaimed annual talent competitions, with challenges designed and assessed by games industry professionals. Prizes include guaranteed opportunities for internships and jobs at leading UK games studios including Sumo Digital and Playground Games.
In 2015, 80% of students who qualified for the second round were able to get a games industry job on graduation. Launched in 2014 by Aardvark Swift, Grads in Games has the mission to unify all games graduate activities, information, advice and jobs in one place.
This year, Search for a Star Code winner Kyle Hobdey, from the University of Central Lancashire, joined VFX winner Niels Dewitte from Howest, and Environment Art winner Jake Missing from Sheffield Hallam University to collect their well-deserved prizes on stage.
The Government has pulled the plug on completing a £1.5 billion project to electrify the key rail line to Sheffield.
The Midland Mainline (MML) is a key route between London St Pancras and the Sheffield city region via the East Midlands. The scheme was set to deliver more seats, improved performance and more space for freight on one of Britain's oldest railways.
Now, instead of the line being electrified beyond Kettering, new bi-mode intercity trains are to be introduced from 2022 that are able to run on both electrified and non-electrified lines. Currently, some trains operating on the route are 40 years old.
Franchising is underway for new operators of the route and one of the key aims is to separate the intercity and commuter markets to improve the services for both. Long distance services from Nottingham and Sheffield are expected to be cut by up to 20 minutes, by reducing the number of calls to pick up commuters, alongside the line speed improvements. Journey timnes from Sheffield to London are set to be around two hours at peak times.
Delivering over 1,000 additional seats in a peak hour, an increase of more than 50%, is expected to relieve over-crowding on all East Midlands services to and from London.
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Network Rail, the owners and operators of Britain's rail infrastructure, had planned to electrify the Midland Mainline north of Bedford, working north. It was set to reach Corby at the end of 2017; Nottingham and Derby at the end of 2019 and Sheffield at the end of 2020.
The project was controversially "paused" by the Government who had concerns over the performance of Network Rail. A new Network Rail chief, Sir Peter Hendy was brought in and proposed that line speed and capacity improvement works already in hand were added to, with electrification of the line north of Bedford to Kettering and Corby by 2019 and the line North of Kettering to Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Sheffield by 2023.
Earlier this year, the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport asking him to reaffirm the Government's commitment to phase 2 of the MML electrification to Sheffield by 2023.
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Sheffield City Council had been making the case to the Government on measures needed to boost the city region's rail services. These include new Inter-City-style high speed trains; six trains an hour from London St Pancras to Corby, Derby, Nottingham or Sheffield; and three trains per hour from London to Sheffield with one train heading on beyond Sheffield to Leeds and one to Manchester/Liverpool.
A Government statement said that new technology meant that "we no longer need to electrify every line to achieve the same significant improvements to journeys, and we will only electrify lines where it delivers a genuine benefit to passengers."
The provision of new bi-mode trains will now "replace plans to electrify the line north of Kettering to Sheffield and Nottingham, improving journeys sooner, without the need for wires and masts on the whole route, and causing less disruption to services.
The Government also added that there will be further investment to come to ensure Sheffield is HS2-ready. Electrification is needed on the HS2 spur line to serve Chesterfield and Sheffield.
For Rotherham, it continues to be a waiting game. As the HS2 line is set to head through the borough to Leeds, work on a potential parkway station continues. A northern loop out of Sheffield Midland to create faster links to Leeds is expected, and in theory could serve Rotherham, but nothing has been decided on this yet despite the recent HS2 announcement.
It is also the case that a new £14m mainline station is the the only practical and cost effective way to enhance rail connectivity to Rotherham.
In 2015, Rail North, a group of transport organisation across the North of England, put forward that the Northern Rail route between Sheffield and Doncaster that passes through Rotherham and the Dearne Valley should be electrified at the earliest opportunity.
Chris Grayling MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, said: "The Government has agreed that an increased volume of renewals activity will be needed over the course of control period 6 [spending between 2019-2024], to maintain safety and improve on current levels of reliability and punctuality, which in places fall short of the levels that passengers rightly expect.
"Before committing to the specific levels of funding required, I have decided that the government requires more assurance on the likely costs of the work programme.
"Network Rail's progress on improving its efficiency in recent years has fallen short of my expectations. Improving efficiency is vital if we are to maximise the value of taxpayer spending on the railway in driving improvements for passengers and freight shippers.
"The government will therefore carry out further work to examine the approach to setting appropriate levels of maintenance and renewals activity for control period 6 and to improving Network Rail's efficiency."
Rotherham Council is seeking the thoughts of developers on how best to bring forward housing on "go early" town centre sites.
The recently published masterplan places a greater emphasis on town centre living and leisure, as opposed to traditional retail uses, in continuing the regeneration of Rotherham town centre.
The authority has secured £6.8m under the Government's expanding affordable housing programme and was named in the first wave of 30 local authority partnerships under the Government's £1.2 billion Starter Homes Land Fund – selected on the basis of their potential for early delivery.
Schemes worth around £40m have been identified and the sites under Council ownership on Sheffield Road - the former baths site, now used as a car park, and the now vacant Millfold House - are frontrunners for development, with the Council wanting to bring them to market in the next six months.
Having recently held its first Housing Developer Summit with a focus on the town centre, "soft market testing" is now underway, and the Council keen to hear from developers on the two specific sites where between 130 and 150 apartments and houses could be built.
The authority wants informal opinions on tenure mix, demand, pace of delivery, challenges and the best model or partnership for development. Formal tendering is likely to get underway in October.
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The masterplan states that: "New town centre residential accommodation should comprise a mixture of both apartments and traditional housing to appeal to a broader market. This would also attract more residents to the Town Centre and further contribute to securing additional footfall which would provide a further boost to Rotherham.
"The high priority site for the partnership is the former swimming baths site at Sheffield Road, which is a key market-creating site. It is envisaged in the masterplan as mainly contemporary distinctive high density urban housing."
The brief adds that: "These homes will be a catalyst for future development and must set the right tone and attract people to want to buy into Rotherham's vision for the town centre. Inspiration has been drawn from key developments at Sheffield's Kelham Island which combine modern design with preservation of the area's industrial heritage."
The Council has been developing proposals to kickstart housing construction in the town centre where financial viability is an issue for the private sector due to site constraints and values. Consultation with estate agents and developers has shown a strong appetite for new homes in the town centre where transport connections are being improved with the addition of tram-train services.
12 sites in the town centre have been identified that could deliver 1,000 homes in the next few years. Further work has narrowed this down to six sites and 400 homes. Other sites include two sites on the riverside opposite Forge Island, the former Henley's garage site on Wellgate, and on the remaining land at Doncaster Gate where work on the new £13m university campus is getting underway.
On financing the developments, the masterplan adds: "Potential investors have indicated funds in-excess-of £20m could be directed to Rotherham in terms of patient finance to create the residential market. This would align with the scale of the opportunity envisaged by the masterplan.
"The Council's starter homes programme has also secured potential long term loan-based investment of the same order. With success, the scale of development will increase. Other private investment in new homes could easily reach that level also."
