News: Swinton town centre redevelopment moves forward

Developers are being approached regarding a multimillion pound redevelopment scheme to transform an area at the heart of Swinton in Rotherham.

The regeneration of Swinton town centre has been under consideration for some time and the Council has identified that an opportunity can be brought forward at an early stage relating to existing Council-owned land and buildings alongside an option to acquire an adjacent site from a public sector partner organisation.

The cabinet and commissioners at Rotherham Council signed off on a Development Brief for Swinton Town Centre last October and a tender exercise is now underway to help secure interest from developers to work on the scheme.

The tender documents show that the contract is worth some £8m.

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The site totals nearly seven acres and includes the cleared disused council offices at Queen Street that suffered a fire back in 2015 and the former Swimming Pool and Squash Court in Charnwood Street that were demolished in 2016 having suffered an arson attack.

The site of the former Charnwood House care home, which was earmarked for demolition, is also included and the authority secured cabinet and commissioner approval to acquire an adjacent site.

The development brief for the site, which is within the Swinton Conservation Area, includes the main intended outcome of the delivery of new homes in a range of sizes and tenures.

Certain public buildings are proposed to be retained (and potentially refurbished) as part of the development: the community centre, the parade of shops together with the residential accommodation above and also a library function, in some form, is part of the proposals.

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The tender documents state: "Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council wish to improve the vitality and viability of the town centre of Swinton, introducing additional accommodation in close proximity to the centre together with a civic and community offer complemented by an enhanced retail offer in the form of a limited number of new units and refurbishment of the existing parade.

"This requirement comprises of approximately 70 residential units; an appropriate number of retail units; sufficient parking to serve the remastered town centre; a revitalised public open space area; provision for a library within the scheme; refurbishment of the existing community centre/civic hall and Council-owned retail units.

"Creative, innovative and viable proposals are requested with the expectation that the quality of design and the materials used will reflect the important nature of the redevelopment and support overall improvement of the area."

The Council has requested early market feedback which will assist elected members in developing "a view that will help shape and streamline any potential future tendering exercise. It will also help the Council in understanding the potential market interest."

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News: Parseq picks up four new contracts

Business process and technology specialist, Parseq, has started 2018 by announcing that it is set to create new jobs in Rotherham having secured four new contracts for its Finance and Administration division worth £1.8m.

Based at Hellaby, Parseq specialises in mobile and online banking software and technology-led outsourcing services. It handles over 70 million calls, digitises 25 million customer correspondence documents and processes £15 billion of electronic payments every year.

The company's Finance and Administration arm provides bespoke, technology driven back office solutions to clients operating in the private and public sectors.

The new contracts will see Parseq deliver advanced document management, data capture and cheque and invoice processing services from its secure base in Rotherham.

To support the significant growth, the business has invested £275,000 in new technology, software and onsite upgrades, with plans to raise its headcount of specialist staff by 15.

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Craig Naylor-Smith, managing director of Parseq's Finance & Administration Division, said: "It's fantastic to start the year on such a high note. The investments we've made to meet this new demand will ensure we're perfectly positioned to deliver the back-office efficiencies that have a measurable impact on our clients' bottom lines.

"It also represents the continuing hard work and dedication of our people and the great successes we achieved last year. As we begin 2018 in earnest, I'm confident this upward trajectory will continue.

"Our longest client relationships extend over four decades, so we're looking forward to developing partnerships old and new, working together to drive sustainable growth."

At the end of 2017, Jenny Dearman became head of operations for the Finance and Administration division, replacing long standing Parseq team member Judith Forbes who has retired after working for the BPO in South Yorkshire for the last 30 years.

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News: Rotherham town centre commercial building up for auction

A prominent commercial building in Rotherham town centre has been put up for sale and is set to go under the hammer next month.

1-22 Effingham Square is the large block of offices with retail units underneath and is located alongside Rotherham Interchange and its shopping centre, opposite to the Tesco Extra store.

Leading auctioneers, Savills, has placed the freehold of the property in its London auction scheduled to take place at the Grovesnor on February 13.

Totaling some 20,160 sq ft of lettable space, the property includes an unbroken parade of ten shops, something which the auctioneers highlights as being "rarely available."

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Tenants include Wallace Arnold, Cash Converters, Tasty Bite, two dental practices and the Laser Credit Union. Upper floors have the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority as tenants.

Bringing in a total current rent of £178,000 per annum, the property has been given a guide price of £1.85m+.

The sales brochure adds that "the site may have development potential and the possibility of adding an extra floor subject to the requisite consents."

Following the opening of the £40m Tesco development, Effingham Square was given a modest revamp with a redesign of the taxi rank and new public realm works to the pedestrianised area.

The new town centre masterplan considers that there "is still significant improvement which can be made" in Effingham Square which is described as "a very poor space and a wasted opportunity."

The masterplan puts forward that Rotherham Council should lead on a project for Effingham Square so that it will become an "attractive densely planted green oasis in the heart of town," complementing the green space at Minster Gardens.

Transforming grey to green, "proposals for Effingham Square will provide a new setting for the Interchange, greening the current expanse of hard space, providing seating and screening through further tree cover. The delineation of space between the taxi ranks and the public space will also help break the expanse of grey space."

Rotherham Interchange itself is set for a £12.5m revamp.

Savills website

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News: Swinden House redevelopment plans submitted

Plans to build 100 new houses on the site of the Swinden Technology Centre (STC) in Rotherham have been submitted on behalf of Tata Steel.

The steelmaker has vacated the research and development site and the laboratories are being demolished. Tata considers that it is no longer a suitable home for the R&D arm and announced in 2014 that it is relocating research to Warwick University.

Property consultants Harris Lamb have been working on a masterplan for the 6.6 hectare Moorgate site and proposals went on show last year. The plans involve 101 new dwellings, keeping the Grade II-listed Swinden House and other historic buildings and converting them into 26 flats.

The planning application submitted this week is for full consent for the conversion of the retained buildings and outline consent to develop the remaining site including access.

The application states that "the scheme proposes to retain Swinden House, Sitwell House, the workshops and the former gatehouse. These will be refurbished and converted to residential use. The remaining laboratory buildings will be demolished to make way for the redevelopment of the site as housing."

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The scheme, which has estimated development costs of over £30m, is set to create "a new build residential development focused on the location of the laboratory buildings, open spaces, car park and single area of open space" in order "to create a comprehensive residential scheme that marries the old and new.

"The site's main features; the heritage assets, tree belts and central open space will all be retained and managed, making them a centerpiece to the scheme."

A financial assessment submitted with the application explains that the high quality location, and the private "parkland" nature of the former Swinden Technology Centre, will generate an above average residential value compared with the general Rotherham area. It adds that the proposed specification of the residential development is likely to be the "higher end" new-build standard.

A range of dwelling sizes are included in the proposals, from one bedroom apartments to five bedroom houses. The types of dwelling range from apartments within the conversions to terraced, semi detached and detached houses. Anticipated sales values for the open market units sit between £168,432 and £532,400.

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In terms of access, one-way access will come from the existing entrance on Moorgate Road, where the existing lodge will be retained. A new two-way access route from Beaconsfield Road is set to be created.

Rotherham Council adopted its Community Infrastructure Levy last year and developers behind new housing in the Moorgate area set to pay £55 per sq m. However, the planning consultants are discounting the levy as the site has been in its lawful use as an employment site.

The applicants are also hoping to provide no affordable housing as they consider that including 25% affordable housing would make the scheme unviable.

United Steels acquired the site in 1946 and in addition to research laboratories, it also includes Swinden House, the former home of Rotherham solicitor Thomas Badger, plus playing fields, tennis courts and orchards. The Grade II listed building, previously known as "Red House" was completed in around 1880. The stable block, walled garden and the lodge are also protected.

The site also includes Sitwell House, a late nineteenth century house that is not a listed building.

The facilities at STC were claimed to be, by the 1960s, one of the largest research organisations devoted to metallurgy in Europe.

It is understood that the Indian-owned steelmaker will sell the site if and when planning permission for the residential development is secured.

Images: Tata Steel / Harris Lamb

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News: AMRC tests "beautifully simple" new construction aid

A retired builder-turned-entrepreneur has invented and patented a brand new method of joining roof battens which will not only improve construction safety, but make a roof quicker and easier to assemble than the traditional method.

The KEAH Roof Batten Joints have been tested and verified for use at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre's (AMRC) Advanced Structural Testing Centre (ASTC) after KEAH director Ken Johnson chose to work with the team there due to their ability to create bespoke testing systems and procedures at the UKAS accredited facility.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and a partner in the HVM Catapult (the Government's strategic initiative that aims to revitalise the manufacturing industry), the AMRC focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

It houses the ASTC which provides state-of-the-art means, methods and skills to validate engineering materials, components, assemblies and full products.

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Ken, from Leeds, who is 70 years old, has spent the majority of his career as a builder and developer in the construction industry. After retiring from his construction businesses, he felt driven to put his own ideas formulated through his vast wealth of experience on building sites, into action to improve construction processes.

Ken created a new company, KEAH, to bring those ideas to life starting with the innovative Plastic Pipe Chamfer and now the ground-breaking new roofing aid which is completely manufactured in Yorkshire.

The Roof Batten Joint is a plastic injection-moulded, push-fit "joint" to easily connect horizontal wooden roof battens at any point along a roof structure, instead of needing to trim them to size and nail them to the vertical roofing spas.

Ken Johnson, inventor of the KEAH joints (pictured, right), said: "After working in construction all my life and having first-hand experience of the issues that can cause delays and cost resources on site, I thought there must be a smarter way to complete those time-consuming intensive manual jobs.

"The joints make felting and lathing a roof quicker, but also safer and stronger than the usual methods as they eliminate weakening of the roof structure from trimming and patching battens that can lead to split batten ends and joint failure."

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The ASTC are testing the batten joints to destruction using a bespoke testing technique.

Phil Spiers, Head of the ASTC (pictured, left), said: "KEAH constructed a roofing model that fits perfectly into our Tall Rig. The rig was developed during project work with Sheffield-based Gripple UK, and has the capability to conduct longer and more accurate tests for a variety of purposes.

"We applied loads to the KEAH joints using the rig until failure of the roof batten, noted the mode of failure and the maximum load achieved just prior to failure. Compared to the traditional joint the KEAH joints were capable of carrying an extra ten stone on average.

Described as beautifully simple, the KEAH joints, which will save time and material waste, are stronger than traditional nailed roof batten fixtures and experienced lower rates of failure.

KEAH have already developed the product through a series of prototypes and have been working closely with national construction and roofing companies to ensure the product meets the needs of those keen to get their hands on the new technology.

The company benefited from SME grant funding through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to pay up to 50% of the costs for the testing.

Johnson, added: "For a small company such as ours, it really helps us get this pioneering roofing product off the ground. The testing is invaluable as it means we will now be able to approach our potential end users and confidently state the load bearing weights of our product and that the joints are ready to go into production thanks to the AMRC."

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News: Wilford Smith take on new offices

Rotherham legal firm, Wilford Smith has opened a new office at Meadowhall Business Park in Sheffield.

ARBA Group, which has undertaken a multi-million pound redevelopment of the 70,000 sq ft business park, has let 2,800 sq ft to the company as it continues an ambitious expansion programme both in the region and nationwide.

The letting has seen a team of professionals move into ground floor office space at Meadowhall Business Park chosen because of its location and accessibility for clients.

Wilford Smith, which specialises in major fraud and complex corporate cases, commercial conveyancing and estate planning, now has offices in Rotherham, Meadowhall Business Park and Paradise Street in Sheffield, and in central London.

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The firm was founded by Steve Smith MBE in 1981 and has grown to employ a team of 26. The business was incorporated in 2017 and the firm's manager, Garth Imison (pictured, left), is now overseeing the expansion programme after gaining Alternative Business Structure status.

The status enabled Wilford Smith to attract investment and management expertise from non-lawyers, as well as to deliver a wider range of client services. The expansion has so far has been self-funded, but the firm has not ruled out accepting offers of external funding.

Smith worked his way up to become a Solicitor of the Supreme Court – without A-Levels, a degree or even a formal education.

Steve Smith MBE, founder and senior partner at Wilford Smith, said: "The office at Meadowhall Business Park is ideal and meets the needs of our team's culture, working across one floor in a high-quality environment and the location makes us more accessible to clients.

"Our professionals have been operating across the region from our Rotherham office since 1981 and during that time we have expanded our team of experts by attracting high-calibre professionals with criminal and niche sector expertise – something we are very proud of.

"We are looking forward to continuing our growth in South Yorkshire and welcoming additional talented professionals and specialist teams to the company."

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Richard Burns, director at ARBA Group(pirctured, right), added: "The offices at Meadowhall Business Park are proving to be well sought after and are attracting quality business to the region and furthering existing companies expansion plans.

"We're pleased to welcome Wilford Smith to these high-profile offices to help their growing business expand further.

"The signing of this lease highlights that Meadowhall Business Park continues to prove to be a place where businesses want to relocate to and grow from."

Wilford Smith website
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News: Date set for public inquiry into INEOS' Rotherham plans

A date has been set for the public inquiry on the determination of INEOS' proposals for a shale gas test drilling well in Harthill.

Last week, the planning board at Rotherham Council confirmed its objections to the plans for a site between the villages of Harthill and Thorpe Salvin that involves building a drilling rig and drilling vertically, deep into the ground to find out how much gas is in the shale.

The members agreed with the authority's planning officers who put forward reasons why the application would be refused based on concerns over the impact on the highways and on ecological surveys and assessments undertaken by the applicant that "fall considerably short."

With INEOS submitting an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate last year, it essentially meant that the application was refused.

Having been given the "hurry-up" by Government, INEOS said that it had encountered "unreasonable delays" in dealing with Rotherham Council on its plans for a drilling rig on Greenbelt land between the villages of Harthill and Thorpe Salvin.

The decision has been taken out of their hands but the planning board still met to establish its stance before a public inquiry where a planning inspector will have the responsibility of deciding on the application.

The inquiry is set to begin on April 24 at Rotherham Town Hall and could last two weeks.

It is likely to be similar to an ordinary planning appeal which can follow on from when an application is refused. The applicant and planning authority setting out their arguments to an independent planning inspector, in this case Stephen Roscoe, based on national and local planning matters.

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A meeting of the Planning Board was put back to early 2018 with Cllr. Atkin, chair of the planning board at Rotherham Council, stating last month that it was INEOS that asked for an extension so that they could overcome the objections.

The application would provide temporary permission for a maximum of five years and the operation would involve various site investigation surveys and site preparation before a period of drilling, coring and testing. A well would be drilled to approximately 2,800 m using a drill rig of maximum 60 m rig height followed by three months of testing. It would use large plant, machinery and HGVs in site development and operationally.

Rothbiz reported last week on the Council's reasons for refusal and these were described to the planning board.

Mitigation measures drawn up for INEOS have not been approved by the Council's transport planners. The proposals could generate a maximum of 70 daily vehicle movements during the site development and measures such as passing places and junction improvements have been deemed to "not satisfactorily address the road safety concerns regarding the introduction of a significant number of additional large commercial vehicles along these narrow country lanes."

Planning consultants, Turley, spoke to the members of the planning board, outlining why the Common Road plans should be approved. The proposals will enable INEOS to carry out tests on the suitability of the area for hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Disappointed with the Council's reasons for refusal, the consultants found comfort in the fact that all of the statutory consultees, such as the Environment Agency, Public Health England, The Health and Safety Executive, The Coal Authority and South Yorkshire Police, offered no objections to the proposals.

With the application receiving over 1,300 letters, not one in support, representatives from various local and national groups, as well as local ward councillors, also had their voice heard, putting forward their concerns.

Rotherham Council planners are of the opinion that other concerns raised are not significant or substantial enough to be included as reasons for refusal alongside highways and ecology issues. However, representatives still have the right to raise the issues at the public inquiry.

Councillors on the planning board then spoke on the plans, showing their frustration and upset at INEOS "bypassing" local decision-making and treating local democracy with contempt.

An emotional chair of the planning board, Cllr. Alan Atkin, said: "As chairman I don't tend to speak much from the chair. I don't think it is appropriate but on this occasion I think I concur with what some people are saying.

"Our planning officers are some of the best in Britain and they have been treated badly by INEOS. Quite frankly, it's shameful, the way they've acted.

"We have got many testimonials from people up and down the country saying that our planning officers bend over backwards to help developers. And the way that INEOS has dealt with us is appalling."

Voting at the meeting, the members showed how they would have voted if it was down to them to judge the application - unanimously agreeing with the officer's recommendation for refusal.

Cllr. Atkin concluded the meeting by saying: "We'll see what happens at the inquiry."

INEOS website

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News: E.ON announce proposal to leave Dearne Valley site

E.ON, one of the world's largest investor-owned electric utility service providers, has announced proposals to leave its contact centre site at Manvers in Rotherham, a move that affects around 250 full-time jobs.

Powergen opened a new telemarketing centre in the Dearne Valley in 2000. It has operated from 32,500 sq ft of space at facilities management firm, Portal's building on the Callflex Business Park.

Having been taken over by German firm, E.ON, in 2001, the sales site calls on prospective customers with deals on their energy.

Customer service advisors at the site heard from the firm this week as it "broke the difficult news to colleagues at our office in Wath-upon-Dearne that we are proposing to leave the site."

E.ON operates similar centres in Nottingham and Bolton.

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In a statement, E.ON, said: "We constantly review all aspects of our business to make sure we continue to give customers a high quality and cost-effective service and to ensure we are set up in the right way to succeed in the future energy market. As part of this process we are proposing to leave our office location at Wath-upon-Dearne in South Yorkshire.

"This proposal is not a reflection of the performance of this site and we value the contribution our colleagues make to our business. We absolutely understand the effect this will have and we will now consult with our trade unions and colleagues on the proposal."

At the end of 2017, three buildings at Callflex Business Park, including Portal's building, were bought by property company, CEG, for an undisclosed sum.

Just last week, Origin Broadband announced that it was moving from its site in Doncaster to take 53,665 sq ft at Callflex Business Park, with the firm believing that it offers an even bigger opportunity for growth.

E.ON website

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News: Fishing Republic nets £1.3m from share placing

Rotherham-based Fishing Republic, one of the largest fishing tackle retailers in the UK, has raised £1.3m through a new share placing.

The Eastwood company floated on the AIM stock exchange in 2015, raising millions to help carry out its expansion plans. A new share placing during 2016 landed a further £3.75m.

Now the firm has announced that new and existing shareholders, including directors, have taken up a share placing in which 13,000,000 new ordinary shares of 1p each were taken at a price of 10p per placing share.

Fishing Republic said that the net proceeds of will be used to further advance and develop the company's e-commerce operations, logistics and merchandising activities following the recent review of operations. It will also be used to provide additional working capital to accelerate the rate of growth of online sales.

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Following a recent period which saw "a significant deterioration in trading," Chris Griffin was brought in to as act as a CEO on a temporary basis to conduct a strategic review. Steve Gross, the company founder, stepped down as CEO and remains on the board as an executive director.

Recruitment is underway for a permanent CEO and chairman, James Newman, has assumed the role of executive chairman temporarily to continue to oversee the operational changes.

The placing saw Newman and Iain McDonald, a previous investor and non-executive director subscribe for 50,000 and 600,000 Placing Shares respectively. Miton UK MicroCap Trust plc has also upped its stake in Fishing Republic to over ten per cent.

In addition, the company issued 1,000,000 Ordinary Shares at the Placing price as part of the payment for consultancy services provided in relation to the recent review of the business and operations.

James Newman, chairman of Fishing Republic, said: "I am delighted to announce our successful fundraising of £1.3m before expenses, which has been supported by both existing investors, including Miton, and Directors, and a number of new shareholders.

"The proceeds of this Placing will be used to implement our operational improvement plan under the new management team and provide us with the working capital needed to expand our online sales offering and distribution facilities."

Shares in Fishing Republic had been trading at around 40p for most of 2017. That price has now dropped to around 10p today.

Fishing Republic website

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News: Rivals object to £40m Rotherham motorway service area plans

The applicants behind rival proposals for a new motorway service area (MSA) on the M1 in Sheffield have lodged an objection to outline plans for a new MSA in Rotherham.

Rothbiz revealed first that landowners and developers believe that their site at Junction 33 of the M1 at Catcliffe in Rotherham is preferable to the site at Junction 35 in Sheffield where a long-running planning battle continues.

Applegreen plc, a major petrol forecourt retailer in the Republic of Ireland with a significant and growing presence in the UK, submitted outline plans to Rotherham Council in September 2017. The proposals would create 300 jobs.

The Smithy Wood plans from operator, Extra MSA, have attracted opposition due to the impact on ancient woodland. It is understood that a decision on the Sheffield plans is unlikely to be made before one is made on the Rotherham plans.

As it travels through the planning process, Highways England, the Government-owned company that operates, maintains and improves England's motorways and major A roads, has asked for further details on the proposals and its impacts on the M1 and the A630 Parkway. This is likely to delay any decision on the plans for six months.

Extra MSA believe that Junction 33 is "not a viable or deliverable location for an MSA," having ruled the site out themselves before selecting their own site at Junction 35. The firm said that this was based on being unable to design safe and satisfactory access and the various physical constraints such as the underpass to link the two sides of the site.

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The firm goes on to highlight that an MSA could add somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 additional traffic movements per day to the junction which would have a significantly adverse impact.

The Parkway from Rotherham to Sheffield is one of the most congested routes in the UK. £1.4m was secured from the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop plans for the area. Work has taken place to widen exit slip roads and roundabouts at Junction 33 and Rotherham's capital strategy includes a £45m plan to widen the Parkway to three lanes between the M1 and Catcliffe.

In its objection letter, Extra MSA goes on to say: "Looking more widely, there is little doubt that locating a new MSA facility at Junction 33 would seriously impede the ongoing development of the regionally significant Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District by consuming much needed Junction capacity that could otherwise be used by higher value developments."

Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Sheffield Business Park have also lodged objections, raising concerns on its impact on the development of the Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID).

Richard Wright, executive director at Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said: "Junctions 33 and 34 are critical junctions for Sheffield and Rotherham. They are on the main access routes between our two conurbations and are critical to the development of important economic areas including the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) which is in both Sheffield and Rotherham.

"We have serious concern about the increase in traffic volumes put forward by the application.

"We can see no allowance made for the increase in traffic caused by the successful exploitation of the AMP and AMID."

In its application, Applegreen included a detailed transport assessment which concluded that, with the new lanes and junction improvements, there would not be an exacerbation of current traffic conditions at Junction 33.

A decision on the plans is not expected until after March 30 2018.

Applegreen website

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News: New recruits at fast-growing Pricecheck

Award-winning firm, Pricecheck Toiletries, has taken on three new members of staff as it continues to grow from its premises at Beighton Link Business Park in Rotherham.

Pricecheck is a leading supplier of international branded consumer goods, working predominately in the health and beauty sector, dealing with discounted clearance stock. Growth in sales has risen from £40m to £55m in the last two years. During this period staff numbers grew from 80 to 130 and export sales increased by 69%.

Tracy Fox-Bramall joins in the newly created role, head of commercial operations. Tracy brings a combination of supplier and wholesale experience, her most recent position being at P&H Direct. Prior to this she held numerous cross functional positions at Mondelez including supply chain channel lead, national accounts, field sales and training roles. Tracy helped shape numerous strategies in both field sales and supply and Pricecheck looks forward to Tracy developing the sales team further to achieve £200m sales turnover by 2025.

Marketing and communication manager, Catherine King spent nearly nine years with local manufacturer Gripple Ltd. Catherine has successfully organised international events, trade shows, developed websites and launched new products during her career. As an alumni of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Catherine has already begun work on innovative and exciting plans for the marketing team in 2018.

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Alicia Rudd, HR advisor moves to Pricecheck from Liberator UK. Alicia changed careers to HR in 2014 after completing training with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. Since her first HR role, Alicia has shown excellent acuity for recruitment and procedural HR, key targets for Pricecheck as the company grows in 2018 and beyond.

Celebrating 40 years in business this year, the second generation family owned business was established in 1978 by the parents of Mark Lythe and Debbie Harrison, who now run the company as joint managing directors. Officially opened in 2016, the new premises matched the firm's ambitious future growth plans, with the 115,000 sq ft warehouse able to accommodate 40% more than previously achievable and offices that tripled in size.

Currently, women account for an estimated 47% of people working in wholesale, but only 11% are senior level managers or directors. At Pricecheck half of the senior positions are held by women.

The joint managing directors over the company in 2007, and have seen the number of senior women in buying, sales, HR and business development roles double.

Debbie Harrison, joint MD at Pricecheck, said: "We all have different strengths, weaknesses, backgrounds, and experiences. These differences enhance creativity, help our teams to make smart business decisions, and better serve our customers across the globe."

Pricecheck website

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News: More contract wins for Horbury Group

Two subsidiaries have secured new construction contracts for the Rotherham-based Horbury Group.

From its headquarters in the Moorgate area, the group combines a number of subsidiaries that specialise in areas including joinery, ceilings, dry lining and health and safety training.

Horbury Facades has secured a contract to detail, supply and install an innovative high gloss rainscreen façade on the new Vita Student building in Manchester.

The student accommodation, based on Nobel Way, is part of Circle Square, the new £750m multi-phase redevelopment of the former Manchester BBC site that will be used for commercial, residential and leisure purposes.

Working alongside 5Plus Architects, Horbury Facades is currently installing the high gloss rainscreen panels, which were specified in Black Metallic (888), on the ground and first floor of the accommodation block.

Adrian Storey, general manager at Horbury Facades, said: "The Vita Student building has an extremely complex façade, especially because of its intricate geometric design at ground floor level. Our team is very experienced in installing challenging facades of this type and its inspired use of high gloss panels mean it will be one of the most innovative and eye-catching buildings within the new Circle Square development."

The company has also installed a Sotech Optima FC concealed fixing system on the student accommodation block and two other buildings that make up phase one of the development, which is due for completion in March 2018.

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Another subsidiary, Horbury Property Services, which is dedicated to providing facilities management, maintenance and refurbishment, has been selected to provide fire safety services as part of a new contract with Sheffield-based community-based social landlord, Arches Housing.

The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades to houses and apartments within the housing providers' stock. Working closely with the asset management team, Horbury Property Services has developed a bespoke solution to enhance fire safety for its residents.

Richard Sutton, general manager at Horbury Property Services, said: "Fire safety is incredibly important, particularly in multi-occupancy buildings and we have extensive experience in providing both public and private landlords with fire door and fire compartmentation upgrades. We are delighted to be working closely with Arches Housing to enhance fire safety across its properties."

Luigi Lantorno, asset compliance and reinvestment officer at Arches Housing, added: "Horbury Property Services was selected for this contract after being successful on our competitive tender for fire safety services. The company proved they had the expertise to be able to deliver these services, whilst being based in the local area, therefore supporting the local economy."

Horbury Group website

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News: Nikken expanding on the AMP

Nikken Kosakusho Europe has had detailed plans approved for a multimillion pound extension to its high spec facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

With European headquarters on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate, Nikken enjoys a global dominance of the rotary table technology market and supply manufacturers operating in the aerospace, defence, motorsport, automotive and medical sectors.

2015 saw the opening of a new demonstration and customer support centre - the Nikken Innovation Centre Europe - packed with advanced equipment to help companies become more competitive by increasing production rates and quality while reducing costs.

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A total of £4m was invested in the new development with the company already setting out that it would invest a further £3m in a second phase.

The latest plans, drawn up by Matthew Montague Architects, states: "Located to the rear of the previous Phase I development, completed by Bond Bryan Architects in December 2015, the extension will increase Nikken's presence within the park and will aim to compliment both the previous development and the existing buildings within the AMP.

"This decision by Nikken to develop this site further demonstrates their ongoing commitment to investment in the Advanced Manufacturing Park."

The site is being surrounded by the popular R-evolution development and new £50m facility being built for supercar manufacturer, McLaren.

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The proposal matches the existing facility in style and will increase the gross floor area from 8,800 sq ft to 19,000 sq ft across the two phases. It will add an open plan light manufacturing area, structural bays, office space, staff room and associated facilities.

Nikken was one of the first partners to back the embryonic University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The AMP development was Nikken's first research and development facility outside Japan and complements facilities at the neighbouring AMRC.

Nikken Kosakusho Europe website

Images: Nikken / Matthew Montague

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News: Tender out for temporary Rotherham bus station

In preparation of work getting underway on the £12m revamp of Rotherham Interchange, a tender exercise is underway to build a temporary bus station on nearby Forge Island.

The planning application for the long-awaited revamp of the bus station in Rotherham town centre was recently approved.

Work on the multi-storey car park is underway with further work on refreshing the concourses and main pedestrian entrances scheduled to begin in the Spring.

Bus services will cease to use the current interchange from April 2018 and will move to a temporary bus station on Forge Island (the old Tesco site) for approximately one year whilst Rotherham Interchange is closed for the refurbishment works. This facility will be named "Rotherham Forge Island."

A planning application was submitted for Forge Island at the end of 2017. Proposals, drawn up by ARUP, show that it will provide 12 stands and a covered waiting area for passengers.

As Rotherham Forge Island is smaller than the current Interchange some services will use new bus stands and shelters located on Corporation Street and Market Place.

Passengers will be provided with a Passenger Information Display (PID) screen, a sheltered waiting area and seating at each stand. There will also be a customer service desk with a member of staff available.

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Tender documents show that the cost of the works are in the order of £275,000 to £325,000. Firms have until January 26 to submit bids.

Taking over the car parking spaces that were created by the Council on the site of the former Tesco store, access for buses will be from Bridge Street.

The application states that the 235 space temporary car park "is significantly underutilised and, following redevelopment of the site, car parking demand is likely to be accommodated within the existing town centre provision."

The highway officer at the Council is satisfied with permission being granted for 12 months but warns that the applicants may have underestimated the likely impact on the surrounding highway network and that the proposal may create congestion issues at College Road Roundabout.

Previously the Rotherham Forge & Rolling Mills, the 1.57 hectare site was cleared last year following the relocation of Tesco across town in 2014. In the ownership of the Council, the long term aim is for a major catalyst project in picking up the momentum for the town's regeneration. A joint venture is set to be created with developers, investors and operators showing a keen interest in working up proposals for a five screen cinema, 60-bed hotel, food outlets, bars and cafes (around 24,000 - 30,000 sq ft of space), and 120+ residential units.

A 300+ space multi storey car park is also in the plans and a feasibility study is being carried out on the potential of a new theatre and arts space on the adjacent site of the former Law Courts, which is also owned by the Council. A hydro-electric power system could be incorporated on the weir.

SYPTE website

Images: SYPTE / ARUP

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News: Awards success for OnePlastics apprentice

An apprentice at the state-of-the-art OnePlastics Rotherham facility has picked up a major industry apprenticeship award for his role in helping the UK's largest manufacturer of wheelie bins reduce the cost of its production processes by more than £135,000 a year.

MGB Plastics is part of the OnePlastics group and the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate facility produces around two million wheelie bins per year.

Oliver Marsh, a University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre apprentice working at OnePlastics, was the clear winner in the plastic industry's equivalent of the Oscars – Polymer Apprentice of the Year Award, the official ceremony for which will be held in London next month.

Barnsley-born Oliver, said: "It's a privilege and an honour to get this award. Working at MGB has been brilliant; the company has given so much support and encouragement. My mentors at work have taught me how to use lean techniques and processes to drive improvements in productivity and performance."

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Having recently invested more than £25m in advanced technology, including a further 2700 tonne Krauss Maffei injection moulding machine, the company was equally keen to invest in its human capital: training the next generation of polymer engineers who will maximise the impact of this investment in its three plants at Rotherham, Tamworth and Hull.

Gary Blanshard, technical manager at MGB Plastics, said: "We decided that the best way forward was to get someone on board who had no pre-conceived ideas of how things should be done. The only way to do this was to train them from scratch.

"We invited the AMRC Training Centre to visit us and discuss what they could offer in the way of apprenticeships. They then advertised for a Technical Apprentice and created a short list of candidates. After an extensive interviewing, Oliver was offered the position and began his apprenticeship with us.

"Having gained knowledge of CAD at the AMRC Training Centre, he has used this to great effect with us. He used CAD to model the fit of our lids, which some customers had identified as an issue, and found a mismatch between the hinge fixing pin and the bin mating hole. He redesigned the pin and improved the tolerances using CAD. Having tested a prototype and run moulding trails on the new hinge pin, he proved out the fit and function through assembly trials."

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It is Oliver's work in improving the moulding process that has most impressed the company. By using the lean principles taught to him by his close mentors at the plant, the change-over process from one council crest to another has turned the operation "into the polymer equivalent of a Formula One pit stop – fast, efficient and very slick."

Bosses estimate that this improvement alone is saving the business in excess of £137,000 a year by getting the plate changes down to just 34 seconds from ten minutes.

The 21-year-old apprentice is now looking at how the firm's existing equipment might need to be uplifted to meet new standards for the industry. "If there is a productivity-critical issue, Oliver is in the mix," added Blanshard.

MGB Plastics website
AMRC Training Centre website

Images: UKSE

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News: Further parking incentives in Rotherham town centre

Rotherham Council is set to introduce further parking incentives to support economic growth in Rotherham town centre, but have stopped short of offering free parking across the board.

Rothbiz reported in 2017 on how the local authority planned to support existing businesses as they wait for the catalyst projects in the new masterplan to revive the town centre.

These include parking incentives, the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), marketing and promotion and opportunities for "meanwhile uses," window/frontage treatments and potential free Wi-Fi.

Now details of the new parking incentives have been set out by the Council.

Visitors are set to be offered two hours free parking at the expiration of a two hour session purchased in some town centre Council operated off-street car parks on Saturdays.

Free parking has been offered on the Council's Forge Island car park on both Saturdays and Sundays for a number of years. This is set to be impacted by the key regeneration site being used as a temporary bus station before a cinema and hotel led development scheme comes forward.

Four hours parking for the price of two is set to be introduced in the Council car parks at Clifton Hall, Drummond Street (pictured), Riverside (off Corporation Street), Scala and Wellgate multi storey. It has been signed off by Damien Wilson, strategic director of regeneration and environment at Rotherham Council as an officer delegated decision.

Two hours in Wellgate multi storey currently costs £1.50 with four hours priced at £2.00. All day parking is £3.50.

At Riverside, one hour is 50p and two hours costs £1.00. Here that charge for four hours is £2.00 and over four hours costs £3.00.

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A Council report states: "It is anticipated that the offer will encourage shoppers / visitors to stay in the town centre for longer on Saturdays and potentially support more businesses."

Addressing ways to find more than £48m of budget savings, Rotherham Council approved proposals to amend parking charges in the town centre in 2016 to "generate additional income in order to help ensure a more self-financing Parking Service which currently has an "underlying budget pressure" of £137,000."

Councillors on the Overview & Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) said at the time that they were only supportive of the option to increase charges on the basis of free (off street) parking being provided on Saturdays but this was not acceded to.

The RAC Foundation recently published figures that showed that parking operations at Rotherham Council made £496,000 in the last financial year. The authority's 2016-17 Parking Operations Surplus was 40% higher than the £353,000 reported in the previous year.

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In introducing the latest incentives, the Council report shows that offering complete Free Saturday Parking was discounted as it was considered that "the loss of income would cause a significant budget pressure."

Free Parking after 3pm on Saturdays was also discounted as it was considered that the costs were "too great when considering the limited likely benefits."

The report concludes that: "The loss of income from the recommended offer is likely to be negligible because the vast majority of Saturday parking sales are currently for two hours or all day durations."

National retailer, Tesco introduced a new parking regime last year with users of the Drummond Street store's car park wanting to park for over 30 minutes now having to spend £5 in the store and register their vehicle.

It is not yet known when the new incentives will be introduced.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Plans brewing for two new Rotherham ale venues

The Rotherham suburbs are set to get a taste of the real ale and craft ale phenomenon as two sets of plans have been served up for new bars.

At Wickersley, which is already a popular destination for drinkers, a planning application has been submitted that would enable a new Real ale (craft beer) style bar close to The Courtyard.

Earlier this month, The Village Butcher on Bawtry Road, closed its doors. A post on the business' Facebook page said: "It has been a hard decision but financially the shop had to close."

Now, a change of use application has been submitted for the 1,600 sq ft unit on behalf of the owners and operators of the nearby Olive Lounge bar and restaurant.

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The application explains: "We currently have a similar venue in close proximity to this building that serves beers / cocktails called the Olive Lounge, our establishment has operated for just over two years and has seen business growth month on month during this period. We now employ 26 local people and have gained an excellent reputation, we have noticed a significant increase in visitors travelling from further afield including Doncaster Sheffield and Bawtry to name a few.

"We feel that the proposed application for a Real ale (craft beer) style bar could be beneficial for Wickersley as there is no other venue like this in the area, we aim to source the majority of our produce from local smaller breweries.

"The theme of the bar will be in keeping with the local area with a heritage colour scheme to compliment the surrounding buildings, our goal is to create a venue where customers can relax and unwind whilst sampling local beers, foods, and wines."

If approved, the new bar could create four full time and eight part time jobs.

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At the nearby Stag roundabout, a separate application has been submitted to create a micropub within the small parade of shops.

Applicant, Dragon Taps Ltd, is looking to the change the use of a 1,431 sq st unit - a former DIY shop.

The plans state: "Micropubs are small scale public houses that retail specialist cask ale to customers. The clientelle is generally over the age of thirty and come specifically for the product on sale. There will be no music or televised sports and our proposed licensed hours of sale are 12:00 to 22:59."

With its highly successful real ale and music festival back for its 25th year, Rotherham has a certain pedigree (and thirst) when it comes to real ale.

On the independent scene, the town's own Chantry Brewey, set up by former steelworkers in 2012, operates two "taps" in Rotherham town centre whilst Wath town centre is served by the Wath Tap.

Images: Magna Real Ale

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News: Martek gets smart with SUITS

Innovative Rotherham company, Martek Marine, has launched another new service to improve safety on board ships - using drones to inspect confined spaces.

The Manvers firm is one of the world leaders in the supply of safety and environmental monitoring systems for the shipping industry.

Called SUITS (Shipboard Unmanned Inspection of Tanks Solution), the Martek solution improves the safety of surveyors and crew members when inspecting tanks, eliminating the need to enter hazardous, confined spaces on board.

Traditional tank inspections often require units to be drained, cleaned and ventilated before surveying crews could be permitted access. The new system can deliver a full HD video survey in minutes, without the need for personnel entry into the tank or hold.

SUITS combines the latest in enclosed space drone technology and virtual reality software allowing the operator to deliver a collision tolerant drone through a hatch or confined space entry and then remotely control it via a control console and video screen – the full inspection can be carried out from a safe location.

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Inspecting a confined space can present the danger of an oxygen-depleted atmosphere or the ingress of another toxic gas allied to the risks of working at height.

Paul Luen, CEO of Martek Group, said: "SUITS will revolutionise confined space inspection to make operations safer, faster and ultimately cheaper."

In one example, ship operator CMA CGM, surveyed the two ballast tanks in its 323 metre long vessel, ANDROMEDA for general integrity and corrosion status. Usually, the inspections require three to four men and extensive safety equipment such as gas and oxygen monitoring detectors, ropes, flashlights, and harnesses. Using drones, three flights of ten minutes each with a single pilot were carried out for the inspection of one tank.

Starting with just £6,000 initial investment in one of RiDO's smallest business units, Martek has seen growth through focusing on disruptive innovation. It now employs over 60 people at purpose built premises in Adwick Park and its products can be found in vessels across the globe. It has expanded into different areas including the medical sector, supplying defibrillators to airlines and leisure and sport venues.

The company is making a splash with how it is pioneering the use of drones in the maritime industry. Last year, Martek was named as part of a €67m (£58m) contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) that sees Martek support the work of Coast Guards using drones.

Martek Marine website

Images: Martek Marine

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News: Origin Broadband dialing up conditions for growth with Rotherham move

Origin Broadband has announced a £2.5m investment in new premises in Manvers, Rotherham as the company continues to compete with the top five players in the UK telecommunications market.

Launching in 2011, Origin has developed its own infrastructure and now host the sixth largest broadband network in the UK. Supplying phone and internet services to businesses and homes across the UK, clients include Amazon – where Origin is the preferred provider for all new warehouse and corporate sites, NHS Sheffield and various UK universities.

Origin aims to reach 250,000 customers by 2020.

Taking on the 53,665 sq ft Unit 7 at Callflex Business Park, the firm believes that it offers an even bigger opportunity for growth. The building, which has been empty ever since it was built, has the capacity to seat up to 700 people across all three floors.

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Oliver Bryssau, CEO of Origin Broadband (pictured third from left), said: "We are really excited about Origins' Head Office moving to Manvers. Doncaster has been a fantastic home for us, but our two current sites are no longer big enough to accommodate our future growth plans. Having both our Residential and Business divisions under one roof will help us share best practice across the whole of Origin.

"Trips have been put on for colleagues to visit the new building and everyone has been impressed with its size and the opportunity it provides for future growth."

The firm, which had to contend with the closure of the publically funded Digital Region network in 2014, has raised finance to support growth plans from the likes of Finance Yorkshire and Calculus Capital.

Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) specialist, Calculus, invested £3m in December 2016. With trading volumes at four times the level anticipated in the business plan that secured the initial funding, a further £2m was invested via Calculus with a new round of funding in August 2017.

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Cllr. Denise Lelliott, Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, said: "We would like to welcome Origin Broadband to Rotherham - with plans to create many hundreds of jobs over the coming years the company will make a huge contribution to our growing local economy here in the borough.

"Rotherham's flexible and skilled workforce is proving irresistible to service sector and manufacturing companies alike, and we look forward to building on the relationship between the Council and this exciting new investor in our borough as their new operation expands."

Last year Rothbiz reported on Rotherham Council approving a business rates incentive to a potential inward investor that could move into the Manvers area and create 1,000 new jobs.

With some redundancies recently reported, Origin said that 98% of current employees have confirmed they will be moving to the new site and that CV workshops will be offered to those who will have to look for work elsewhere.

Bryssau added: "We want to make the move as easy as possible for our colleagues. Exciting announcements have been made about contract changes; including shorter working hours and increased holiday allowances, with salaries remaining the same.

"The next phase for Origin is to continue our work on enhancing the customer experience. We set out to offer a better standard of broadband service nationwide and we will continue to do just this. Our values still remain the same, we will still offer industry leading prices and outstanding value for money, without ever outsourcing any of our operations overseas."

Oliver Bryssau and Henri Wust launched Origin Broadband in 2011 during their final year at the University of Hull after Oliver became frustrated with the "rubbish" network access he received from his supplier.

Origin Broadband website

Images: Origin Broadband

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News: Rolls-Royce wins massive Trent 1000 order

Rolls-Royce has won an order for its Trent 1000 engines to power ten Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The deal is valued at $450m (£324m).

Headquarted in Dublin, AerCap is a global leader in aircraft leasing and has lodged the order with options for a further five Trent 1000-powered 787s.

The aircraft will be powered by the latest version of the Trent 1000, the Trent 1000 TEN (which stands for Thrust, Efficiency and New Technology), which entered service in November last year. The engine incorporates technologies from the Trent XWB and Advance engine programmes contributing to the Dreamliner achieving a 20% greater efficiency than the aircraft it replaces, as well as having half the noise footprint of previous-generation aircraft.

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The Trent engines include key components manufactured by Rolls-Royce in Rotherham.

The turbine blades made in Rotherham rotate at 12,500 rpm, with their tips reaching 1,200mph – nearly twice the speed of sound. At take off each of the engine's high pressure turbine blades generates around 800 horsepower per blade - similar to a Formula One racing car.

The most advanced turbine blade casting facility in the world was officially opened on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham in 2014. The 150,000 sq ft facility employs around 150 people and has the capacity to manufacture more than 100,000 single crystal turbine blades a year. The advanced turbine blade castings are produced for the company's most modern, high-thrust engines.

There are two types of turbine blade manufactured at the Rotherham facility: high pressure (HP) and intermediate pressure (IP) single crystal blades. There are over 65 in every iconic Trent engine and 182 turbine blades in each Trent XWB engine.

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Dominic Horwood, director – customers and services, civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: "We are proud to have AerCap, a global leader in the lessor market, order further Trent 1000 engines as our latest variant goes into service. We continue to see customers recognise the economic benefits of our engine and its service support."

Philip Scruggs, president and chief commercial officer at AerCap, added: "We are pleased to provide our customers with the most modern, fuel efficient aeroplanes and engines in the world. We look forward to receiving further 787 Dreamliners powered by this latest version of Trent 1000, the Trent 1000 TEN engines."

The TEN version of the the Trent engine was introduced in an effort to overcome several performance and reliability issues.

Rolls-Royce website

Images: UKSE

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News: instantprint impressed by tent inventor's pitch

An inventor of an innovative wearable personal shelter has won £6,500 worth of marketing materials as part of a business competition organised by fast growing Rotherham-based online printer, instantprint.

Part of the Manvers-based Bluetree Group, instantprint ran the Launch Of A Lifetime competition as part of its mission to support the UK's small businesses.

Lee Price won the prize after pitching his innovative Zelter Shelter - a personal shelter you can wear.

The competition, aimed to accelerate the success of the winner, included free graphic design time, an iZettle reader, a Dotmailer email marketing subscription, a social media and SEO plan, as well 1 year of free legal advice and templates.

James Kinsella, co-Founder of instantprint, said: "Our Launch of a Lifetime competition received hundreds of entries and after careful consideration Zelter Shelter was selected as the winner.

"Helping small and micro businesses grow their business is at the heart of everything we do. Marketing materials and promotional print make up the core of our business but throughout 2017 we wanted to offer support in all areas of running a business and our Launch of a Lifetime competition is part of this. We're excited to see how the prizes can help Lee develop Zelter Shelter further throughout 2018."

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Lee Price, owner of Zelter Shelter (pictured, back row, centre), added: "We're so pleased to have been chosen as the winner of instantprint's launch of a lifetime competition. Printed marketing has been important because when you're with people it has immediacy and professionalism – a physical thing that people can see and take away with them. This is important in the places where I've been taking the product and it's a great complement to digital media.

"We're focused on creating highly functional gear for outdoor safety and enjoyment. Zelter gear is durable and effective, highly portable and made for extreme situations. We're based in Sheffield and preparing to launch our first product on a large scale."

instantprint started as micro-business. When childhood friends Adam Carnell and James Kinsella, graduated, they had already spotted a gap in the market for online printing. The duo founded Instantprint in 2009 using second-hand printing equipment and a borrowed office.

Going from strength to strength and with turnover at around £30m, the company has been included in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 for two consecutive years. To be included in this, companies must have an average of three year sales growth ranging between 45% and 37.5% per annum and sales ranging between £5m and £100m.

Furthermore, instantprint were included in the London Stock Exchange Group's 100 Companies to Inspire Britain report, which showcases the UK's most inspiring and fastest growing companies.

instantprint website
Zelter website

Images: instantprint

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News: Gulliver's finalises Rother Valley plans

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Gulliver's, the operators of theme parks in Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes, is clearing the last planning hurdles for its proposed £37m leisure resort in Rotherham.

Planning permission was granted in March last year for Gulliver's Valley - the first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location with new attractions exclusive to Rotherham.

The application was not called in by the Government but is subject to a number of conditions. The family-owned firm is hoping to satisfy some of these by submitting further details to the Council.

The proposals, which will create around 400 jobs, are for a year round destination aimed at 2 - 13 year olds include a theme park hub, woodland adventure centre, ecology and education centre, lodges, hotels and a holiday village.

The scheme is expected to be built over 12 - 15 years in a number of phases. Phase one includes the main Gulliver's theme park with three themed areas, the entrance hub and castle, and is set to open in 2020.

Updated documents for Council officers to sign off include an ecological mitigation, enhancement and management plan, a travel plan, proposals for the "softworks" around the site and an assessment of the mineworkings in the area.

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Gulliver's is purchasing around 250 acres of the restored former colliery and opencast site from Rotherham Council. The assessment by Wardell Armstrong looks at previous mine shafts in the area, and the subsequent opencast workings, and conclude that "construction can proceed as presently proposed."

Mitigation measures are outlined for safeguarding habitats, during the construction phase and during the operation of the theme park. A range of enhancements will also be incorporated into the permitted scheme.

The overall site is approximately 98 hectares in area comprising the northern part of the Rother Valley Country Park. 215,000 sq ft of buildings are proposed and the proposed vehicular access comprises a new site access junction off the A618 Mansfield Road. The resort is set to have 1,728 car parking spaces with space for electric vehicles, coaches and cycles.

It is anticipated to attract 21,000 to 25,000 visitors per week during the peak season and 1,000 visitors per week during the remainder of the year (apart from special events including Bonfire Night and Christmas). The normal opening hours would be 10.30 to 17.00.

The updated travel plan, drawn up by SYSTRA Ltd, looks at access to the site. For example, public rights of way have been incorporated within the scheme without the need for diversions. A number of courtesy footpaths have also been included which will be available for use during daylight hours.

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The plans state: "Travel to and from the site will be encouraged by public transport modes and active modes as far as possible. However, it must be recognised that the target demographic for the development is families with young children. Walking or cycling more than short distances is very challenging for such family groupings."

Gulliver's plan to hold discussions with existing bus operators as to the feasibility of operating a bus service into the site. Marketing and promoting sustainable transport methods makes up much of the travel plan.

The site layout is designed to encourage and promote walking and cycling and as the site develops, a cycle hire centre and electric land train are planned to help movement on-site.

Gulliver's Valley website

Images: Gulliver's

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