News: £40m for levelling up in Rotherham and what it'll be spent on

Two of the three bids from Rotherham have been successful in securing money from the Government's Levelling Up Fund.

The competitive fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets. The Government has committed £4 billion for England over the next four years (up to 2024-25).

Successful bids in the first round of the Levelling Up Fund were announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the 2021 Spending Review and they included bids around Rotherham town centre and the local visitor economy.

The town centre bid has been allocated £19.5m and focuses on two key areas, the Riverside Residential Quarter (an £18.7m project) and the Leisure and Culture Quarter (a £19.5m project).

The Riverside masterplan focuses on the creation of a new mixed-use community, bringing footfall and activity 24 hours a day. This includes a major drive to repopulate this area and to address longstanding vacant buildings. The first phase of the residential project is being delivered bringing 171 new homes into the town centre.

£11m from the Levelling Up Fund will provide a new pedestrian bridge across the river between the new residential development and Guest & Chrimes and New York Stadium, the route of this bridge will culminate in new public realm at the end of Water Lane close to where new housing is being built on the site of the former Sheffield Road swimming baths. A Riverside Walk will also be developed to open up the River to the new residents and people walking into the town.

A land assembly strategy would also see the Council taking ownership of further sites within the town centre to continue its regeneration.

£8.5m from the Levelling Up Fund will contribute to this by supporting enabling works such as the completion of flood defences in the form of the Canal Barrier, and continuing the River Walk, creating a key pedestrian gateway to the development.

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The Government has also awarded £19.9m for a number of connected projects which aim to build a new leisure industry that responds to the challenges of economic recovery and health and well-being. It brings together a package in two parts which will kickstart the leisure and visitor economy, drive inclusive growth and new job creation at the heart of communities across the borough.

To the north, Grade I Listed Wentworth Woodhouse would transform its Riding School and Stables to create new hospitality and visitor centres. £4.6m is required from the Government where the total project costs are £5.1m.

Also in the northern part of the borough, a £2.5m project would see Thrybergh Country Park benefit from a new destination waterside café and improved parking.

Close to the town centre at Templebrough, Magna would create a suite of new exhibitions, which will focus on science, nature and natural materials. The charity would need £1.9m for the £2.1m project.

In the south of the borough, Rother Valley Country Park would see a new ‘Village Centre’ created with a café, there will be new outdoor play and an educational centre. £5.5m is required here.

A second part of the bid is a skills package that will underpin the development of the major attractions through the creation of a new Skills Village (£1m required for the £1.6m project) at Gulliver's Valley Resort focusing on training, development, and accreditation within the hospitality and leisure sector.

Bridging the gap between school and employment, Maltby Academy Trust would invest £4.5m of Government funding in the £6.3m redevelopment of the former Maltby Grammar School to create an incubator space for training, apprenticeships, and start up support in the leisure and hospitality sectors.

Over 300 bids were submitted with over 100 successful in the first round. Absent from the first list is the third Rotherham bid which focussed on levelling up Wath and Dinnington.

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News: Work begins on new Rotherham town centre flood defence

Works to install a new multimillion-pound canal barrier at Forge Island are now underway as part of a key milestone in the Forge Island flood defence and enabling scheme.

These works form the central part of the Rotherham to Kilnhurst Flood Alleviation Scheme that the Council are already delivering along 5km of the River Don.

Rothbiz reported in June on the new canal barrier that joins the flood wall that has recently been constructed on Forge Island, which together will help reduce the risk of the River Don overtopping into the canal and flooding Rotherham town centre and the Central Railway Station.

Since June 2007 the Council has invested over £17m delivering flood defence schemes along the River Don corridor.

As well as being an integral part of the town centre flood defence, the canal barrier will add an impressive aesthetic element to the area, sitting alongside the Forge Island leisure development.

The flood defence scheme on and adjacent to Forge Island also includes improvements to the adjacent towpath, high-quality landscaping and new amphitheatre seating overlooking the lock.

Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, Cllr Dominic Beck, said: “The threat of flooding causes a great deal of stress and upset to both residents and local businesses, as well as potentially causing havoc to the transport infrastructure. We saw with the flooding of 2007 and 2019 the amount of devastation it can cause, having lasting effects for years to come.

“We are committed to preventing a repeat of the flooding we’ve seen in recent years and the installation of the canal barrier will help protect our vital town centre business and Central Train Station.”

The rail link at Rotherham has been badly affected by flooding on several occasions with Network Rail set to contribute £400,000 towards the delivery of the canal barrier to provide resilience to this section of their network.

Matt Rice, North and East Route Director for Network Rail, said: “We saw the significant impact that severe weather can have on the railway earlier this year when Storm Christoph brought heavy downpours across the North, flooding sections of track in Rotherham. At the time, we were able to keep passengers moving by diverting services but installing this new canal barrier will help reduce risk from future floods and reduce the impact on the railway.

“We’re delighted to be contributing towards the funding of the canal barrier as we continue to work closely with Rotherham Council and other partners to reduce the impact of severe weather on the railway, the town and the surrounding area.”

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Work is due to be completed next summer. Until then the canal-side footpath and cycle route will be closed until August 2022 and a signed diversion is in place. Part of the Trans Pennine Trail will also operate with a diversion. The Statutes car park will remain open.

After a successful bid Jackson Civil Engineering Group Ltd has been awarded the construction contract following completion of the design by consultants Pell Frischmann.

A spokesperson for Jackson Civil Engineering Group Ltd commented: “Jackson is delighted to be delivering this exciting project and providing local residents and businesses in Rotherham with a vital piece of flood alleviation infrastructure.

“This scheme further bolsters the relationship we have with Rotherham Council and the good works we have already delivered on the wider Rotherham to Kilnhurst Flood Alleviation Scheme.”

Mark Duquemin, Head of Environmental Management and Sustainability for Pell Frischmann said: “We are very pleased to have carried out the design for this iconic structure with our design partners KGAL, providing mechanical & electrical services for the flood gate, and Ecus, providing landscape architecture services.

“We look forward to working with the Council and Jackson Civil Engineering Group Ltd during the construction of the canal barrier which, when finished, will reduce flood risk to the people and communities of Rotherham from flooding.”

Construction follows approvals by the Canal and River Trust and the Environment Agency to carry out the works to the canal and surrounding area.

Sean McGinley, director at the Canal and River Trust Yorkshire & North East, said: “We are delighted to be working with Rotherham Council on this project to protect the town from flooding.

“As a charity, we are always willing to work with partners to improve the infrastructure of our waterways, and we are pleased to have liaised closely with the Council during the concept and design of this project.”

Dave Ferguson at the Environment Agency commented: “This innovative new flood defence, combined with the new flood wall on Forge Island, will help reduce flood risk to homes, businesses and key transport infrastructure in Rotherham and improve resilience to the effects of climate change.

“We can never completely eliminate the risk of flooding, but people can ensure they are ready this autumn and winter by preparing a flood plan and signing up for free flood warnings.”

Images: RMBC / Pell Frischmann

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News: Eastwood regen plans shelved

A project that would have seen Rotherham Council buying up houses in an effort to turnaround an area with a number of problems looks to have been shelved due to a lack of Government funding.

Rothbiz reported in June that Rotherham was provisionally awarded £31.6m from a "town deal" with the Government which it plans to use to revamp areas of the town centre as well as Templeborough and Eastwood.

£5.1m was earmarked for improving housing and connectivity in Eastwood with potential interventions including new family housing on underused land on York Road, on the site of the closed Netherfield Court care home and on Erskine Road. Some existing residential properties in the area were set to be refurbished and transformed.

The Eastwood area was one of the first four areas where Rotherham Council introduced a selective licensing scheme to tackle the low housing demand and significant and persistent levels of antisocial behaviour (ASB) related to the private rented sector.

Other potential interventions to improve connectivity at Eastwood include replacing the two bridges over the rail line and canal to better connect Parkgate's retail centre, and tram-train stop, with Eastwood Village. At St Ann's, filling in the underpass is proposed with the creation of better, at grade, connections for pedestrians and cyclists.

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The £31.6m offer was lower than £35m bid and so the Rotherham Town Deal Board has had to take the difficult decision to cut some projects.

The potential demonstrator scheme to acquire and refurbish terraced houses in Eastwood has now been dropped.

Houses within residential terraced blocks would have delivered new homes converted from two properties into one.

Investment plans stated that "The identified blocks have the poorest quality housing and the most antisocial issues with accommodation unsuitable and cramped for the larger families which currently reside in the area. Groups of 2 x 2-bedroom properties will be converted into 1 x 4-bedroom homes, with general refurbishment and fit out. Private back gardens can be transformed into communal shared gardens, maintained under a separate management agreement, with small semi-private areas immediately behind units, solving issues around rights of access and anti-social behaviour in the alleyways."

But now board minutes confirm that: "Of all the projects this is probably one of the riskiest. We do not want to pursue CPO [compulsary purchase order] for residential properties and as such it relies on acquisition of neighbouring properties, which could prove difficult. As such it is recommended this project is not pursued at the current time."

Rotherham Council brought in consultants, ARUP and WYG, to work on the bid and created the Rotherham Town Deal Board, which is private sector chaired and brings together the public and private sectors. AHR along with Turner and Townsend have now been brought in as consultants to work on the remaining projects which inlcude regenerating the Guest & Chrimes site and Corporation Street in the town centre, and the remaining Eastwood projects.

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News: Machine tool specialist takes space on AMP

XYZ Machine Tools, in partnership with Ceratizit UK & Ireland has opened the doors to its latest Demonstration and Training Centre, located on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

XYZ has been developing, testing and refining a range of machine tools for over 35 years. Luxembourg-based Ceratizit Group develops and produces highly specialised cutting tools, indexable inserts, rods made from hard materials and wear parts.

The AMP facility, part of the Evolution development, is equipped with a broad range of XYZ machines from ProtoTRAK controlled lathes and mills, through its heavy-duty and linear rail machining and turning centres to the flagship UMC-5X five-axis machining centre.

Working with Ceratizit UK & Ireland, XYZ Machine Tools customers can visit the centre to investigate not only the machines, but also to develop machining strategies to help improve manufacturing efficiencies. It will also be utilised to provide training for those customers in the region who have purchased new machine tools, where they can make use of the classroom facilities alongside hands-on practical use of the machines.

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On a recent open day, visitors from across the manufacturing sector descended on the centre to witness live demonstrations.

“The turnout exceeded our expectations and is a sign that manufacturing is returning to some form of normality and customers are continuing to look to invest in new machine tools to meet changing and growing demands on their manufacturing capacity,” says Nigel Atherton, Managing Director, XYZ Machine Tools.

Devon-based XYZ has seen 100 machines shipped out to customers in the UK and across mainland Europe in the past few months with overall sales in 2021 so far already 33% higher than the previous year, and predicted to double by the year-end.

Atherton added: "As the UK manufacturing sector continues to bounce back from the previous 18 months of uncertainty, we are seeing significant demand for machines, and a need for those machines to be delivered quickly."

XYZ Machine Tools website

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News: £570m transport funding for South Yorkshire

The Government has backed the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s (SYMCA's) bid for transformative investment in the region’s transport network, with Rotherham projects set to benefit.

Worth £570m. the investment will bring significant improvements to South Yorkshire’s transport system, enabling people to make public transport and walking and cycling their first choice for travel.

In the 2020 Spending Review the Government confirmed Intra City Transport Settlements (ICTS) for eight Mayoral Combined Authorities. Funding totalling £4.2bn will be available starting in 2022-23.

Rothbiz reported earlier this month that a bid had been submitted to Government.

It detailed that Government backing for the plans will:

- Improve the buses network – giving buses priority on roads, provide better vehicles, stations and stops. It includes significant investment in electric buses and installing charging infrastructure at stations and on streets and depots across South Yorkshire to move towards a zero-emission fleet
- Deliver better active travel routes, so people can leave their cars at home for short journeys, by building more than 600 miles of new cycle lanes across the region
- Invest in tram, securing the first phase of investment in the renewal of Supertram
- Build and improve stations and platforms at the region’s rail stations
- Ease congestion, build new junctions and repair potholes on South Yorkshire’s roads. The plan includes major improvements to the A635 between Doncaster and Barnsley

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The money will help deliver major improvements to the region’s bus, rail and active travel network and the renewal of Supertram. Rotherham Council leader, Chris Read has also hinted that the funding would benefit Rotherham through £9m towards proposed new train stations at Waverley and on the Sheffield to East Coast main line.

Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis, said: "South Yorkshire deserves and needs a world-class transport network. I’ve fought hard to secure the transformative investment we need for South Yorkshire and repeatedly called on ministers to match my ambitions.

“That message has finally been heard by Government. The money we have secured will get South Yorkshire moving and help deliver a public transport revolution – benefitting all parts of our region and making public transport the first choice for travel.

“Passengers in South Yorkshire will benefit from faster bus services, upgraded shelters and stops, better rail stations and a massive expansion in high-quality walking and cycle routes.

“I want a stronger, greener, fairer South Yorkshire and this settlement marks a big step forward on that journey.”

The MCA has previously discussed asking the Government to foot most of the £439m bill to renew the existing Supertram network.

SYMCA website

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News: New openings at Parkgate

Sports fashion retailer JD has opened a brand new store in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last month that The King of Trainers was looking to take on the 15,000 sq ft unit that was previously occupied by Mothercare at Parkgate Shopping Park.

Ocupying unit 6a, this new store will complement the existing JD location in Rotherham town centre on College Walk.

The store has employed 40 new staff members from the Rotherham area and there are 30 extra Christmas temporary jobs available to apply for from now till the end of November.

A spokesperson for JD said: “We’re delighted to be opening another JD store in Rotherham.

“This will offer shoppers a wider selection from our extensive range of best-in-class sports fashion wear.”

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Poundstrecther was the last retailer to open a new store at Parkgate when it opened in July.

The next new opening is set to be German Doner Kebab.

Rothbiz reported in May that the fast-casual brand was set to take on the former Carphone Warehouse unit as part of ambitious UK expansion plans.

Established in Germany over 30 years ago, the brand has built up to 76 restaurants in UK, Europe and Middle East, all selling high quality doner kebabs. The chain serves 100% lean succulent meat in handmade breads and crisp salad, with a choice of three signature sauces.

JD website
German Doner Kebabs website
Parkgate website

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News: Gulliver's Valley on recruitment drive

Gulliver’s Valley in Rotherham is on a recruitment drive for a range of positions, from roller coaster operators and entertainers to hotel hosts and housekeepers.

Created on 250 acres of land at Rother Valley, the resort is aimed at children between the ages of two and 13-years-old and has a variety of onsite accommodation available and more than 30 rides and attractions.

Gulliver’s is a flexible employer and has varying shifts and seasonal work available. The company employs and welcomes applications from students, school leavers and older people, including those who have retired, who are looking for work.

Andy Flowers, resort manager at Gulliver’s Valley, said: “Having fun is part of the job description at Gulliver’s Valley. Our mission is to provide an environment where families can make magical memories and our staff are a huge part of that.

“We are looking to recruit people from all walks of life for a wide range of flexible roles. You’ll be part of our friendly team and empowered to do your best work to ensure our guests have a great time.

“Gulliver’s Valley is a truly unique place to work where every day is different and you are part of something that makes people smile.”

Gulliver’s Valley has recently recruited two new budding theme park managers.

Beth Saxby from Chesterfield and Mae Spencer from Balby, Doncaster, have both been taken on after a call for candidates to sign up to the company’s bespoke trainee managers training scheme earlier this year.

The pair will kick-start their training at Gulliver’s Valley, before moving on to experience working at Gulliver’s other UK sites in Milton Keynes, Warrington and Matlock Bath.

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Now in its seventh year, Gulliver’s management training programme will give the new hires a chance to experience different areas of the business on a series of placements, while allowing Gulliver’s to home-grow its own managers according to the business’s unique and rapidly expanding needs.

Along with seven other successful applicants located across the UK, the pair will take on their own bespoke projects, receive mentoring from a senior member of Gulliver's staff and have access to external development coaches and experts, before stepping into new management roles at the end of the 12-month term.

Beth, who recently completed a degree in international tourism management at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “I am looking forward to using my degree to help plan events at Gulliver’s. I’m also excited to learn about the rides and looking forward to interacting with guests enjoying a family day out at the parks.”

Mae has just returned to the UK after working for Royal Caribbean for a number of years, as a member of the sports team on board the cruise ships. Mae said she is “looking forward to working at all the different Gulliver’s locations and learning the many different roles.”

Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver's Theme Park Resorts, said: "I'm thrilled to welcome the next generation of theme park managers to Gulliver's.

"They were selected from a strong and diverse field of candidates and come from a range of backgrounds. What they all have in common though, is the ambition they have shown and a commitment to learning new skills.

“Gulliver's is a unique and rapidly growing organisation that attracts ambitious and energetic people. By running our own in-house management training programme, we can shape our team and allow their roles to evolve as the business expands.

“I'm excited to see what the future holds for our latest group of trainee managers."

The new trainees follow a recruitment boost at Gulliver’s Valley this summer, with six new interns taken on at the site from across Rotherham recently, as part of the park’s work with Rotherham Opportunities College, through the DFN Project SEARCH.

Julie added: “We’re committed to creating new job opportunities for the local community around each of our parks and it’s been great to see the team flourish at Gulliver’s Valley – our newest site.”

Gulliver's Valley website



Images: Gulliver's

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News: £2m investment and huge recruitment drive at MTL Advanced

MTL Advanced, a division of one of the largest engineering groups in Europe, has made a further investment £2m in new capital equipment in its Rotherham facility to meet the demands of a series of new high-profile contract wins for the Defence and Construction industries.

The new investments have been spread around various manufacturing cells of the business including large format Laser Cutting, Large Folding, and CNC Machining to provide a much-needed capacity increase in line with the company’s growing order book.

The latest machinery arrival has seen MTL commission their brand new 6m x 2.5m Trumpf 10kw 3060 TruLaser large format fibre laser earlier this month. This was a welcome addition to the company’s already extensive large profiling cell, which comprises of 2 other 6m x 2.5m lasers, a 20m x 3.2m bevel laser and a large 25m x 5m high-definition plasma cutting machine on top of 4 other laser cutting machines.

This new 10Kw fibre laser will provide the company with a significant boost in productivity and allow MTL to offer better laser cutting lead times and improved contour quality to their customers for large profiles of up to 30mm in thickness.

The new fibre laser has come on the back of another major investment in September, which has seen MTL acquire a 4.5m wide x 640 tonne Ursviken press brake. Now boasting three 640 tonne capacity large Ursviken presses including two 7.2m wide presses, MTL have strengthened their position as the go-to contract manufacturer for large cut and fold requirements in mild steel, wear resistant steel, aluminium, stainless steel, and armoured materials.

Recent investments have not been limited to MTL’s profiling bay however, as the company has also purchased two new Hartford machining centres earlier this year to boost their CNC Milling capacity, resulting in many additional job vacancies across the business.

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Karl Stewart, General Manager at MTL Advanced stated: “Investing in the very latest technology continues to strengthen our position as one of the UK’s leading contract manufacturers and we are extremely pleased with our recent purchases as this reinforces our ability to handle large multi-million pounds projects. We have just secured new long-term orders in excess of £10m this month, with production starting in the new year, and these new additions to our machinery line-up will enable us to meet the demands of these contracts. These are really exciting times for MTL as we approach 2022 with a very strong order book and this has created many exciting new vacancies to join our operations here in Rotherham.”

MTL Advanced have just advertised around 40 new vacancies on the back of these recent investments and contract wins, with many opportunities to join their 300,000 sq. ft. Brinsworth facility. These include seven laser operators and general operatives, four welders / fabricators, four CNC millers, two press brake operators, two paint sprayers, two material handlers, as well as various project engineers, supervisors, training officers, and sales estimator positions to name but a very few.

These new job roles come in addition to MTL’s recent major apprentice recruitment scheme, which has already seen MTL hire 12 new commercial and technical apprentices in September as well as four new recruits as part of the nationwide KickStart campaign, a national scheme aimed at getting 16–24-year-olds who were previously at risk of long-term unemployment into work.

Stewart added: “Investing in the next generation of talented engineers is critical to our ongoing success and we now have dedicated trainers in the factory whose sole purpose is to mentor and upskill our home-grown workforce. We are now gearing up our operations ahead of these major future contracts, and our recent investments in training and modern machinery will enable us to proactively plan our forward growth and attract the required new talent into the business.”

MTL Advanced website

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News: New Rotherham cycle scheme will cause delays in a roundabout way

A roundabout on a key route to Rotherham town centre is set to be reduced to one lane in order to accommodate cyclists, and proponents of the scheme expect it will make queueing here longer.

Funding is being sought via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) for improvements on Wellgate, Broom Road and Broom Valley Road to provide better conditions for cyclists, and pedestrian, travelling between the south east of the town and central Rotherham (including its onward rail and bus services).

The first phase centres on creating dedicated cycle tracks on Wellgate and Broom Road, between Hollowgate and Boswell Street. A potential second phase would, subject to community support, improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists on Broom Valley Road and address local concerns about traffic volumes and speeds.

Alhtough funding is tight, new one-way cycle tracks will be provided on each side of Wellgate between Hollowgate and Clifton Roundabout and some parking spaces and a redundant loading bay would be removed. Bus passengers will need to cross the narrow cycle track to reach the bus stop.

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Clifton Roundabout, along with its approaches, will be narrowed to a single lane to control vehicle speeds, provide space for cycle tracks, separate from traffic and pedestrians, all the way around, and improve the refuge areas for pedestrians and cyclists crossing each arm of the roundabout.

The proposals mean that the current bus lane on Broom Road would end before the roundabout where two lanes will merge into one (at around Broom Terrace), with the cycle track alongside. The existing westbound bus lane will be kept, and goods vehicles will be newly allowed to use the bus lane.

A consultation document from Rotherham Council, states: "These changes will reduce the capacity of the roundabout. Assessing the exact impact of this on traffic has been difficult as it has not been possible to collect current representative traffic data due to reduced traffic levels during COVID-19 restrictions. Historical data suggests the roundabout will operate near to its capacity in the morning peak travel period, with potential for queues to form on Broom Road for about half an hour. The average delays for motorised traffic at this roundabout during the morning peak, under these proposals, is forecast to be 17 seconds (though this may vary from day to day)."

Another scheme being assessed is one to provide a cycle route between Wath town centre and the A633 Manvers Way – with its existing cycle tracks and connections to cycle routes through the Dearne Valley. This will allow direct access between the employment sites and facilities of Manvers and Wath-upon-Dearne.

Cllr. Dominic Beck, Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment at Rotherham Council, said: “Cycling and walking provide low-cost travel, improve health and wellbeing and help protect the environment - so investing in active travel creates lasting benefits for everyone. But we need people’s feedback to ensure we are doing this in the best way for local residents, businesses and road users – so I urge people to look at the proposals and take part in the consultations."

Images: Google Maps

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News: Rotherham bingo hall up for auction

A prominent building in Rotherham town centre is set to go under the hammer, again.

Rothbiz reported in May that Mecca Bingo had confirmed that its venue on Corporation Street was closing permanently.

The Rank Group, which owns Mecca, has seen venues closed during the Covid pandemic and posted much reduced revenues.

The building, which was previously a cinema was due to go up for auction twice in 2018 with a guide price of £875,000 - £925,000 and then £800,000 but the lots were withdrawn twice.

The property did sell at auction in 2019 for £575,000.

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Now Network Auctions is advertising the lot for sale at its online auction on October 21. Now with a guide price of £390,000, the freehold of the 25,833 sq ft building is described as a having "potential for commercial / institutional / religious use and residential development subject to planning."

Indeed, Rothbiz reported in June that an application had been submitted to knock the building down and in its place, erect a residential building consisting of 45 dwellings and three ground floor commercial units.

The art deco building, which originally opened in December 1934 as the Regal Cinema, is not listed and planning documents from Sunshine Homes Ltd explained that: "The initial intention was to explore options for a residential conversion of the existing building, however having assessed these options in detail it was clear that a conversion was simply not a viable proposal. As such it was concluded that the only real option was for a new build approach."

The site is adjacent to the Forge Island regeneration scheme anchored by a cinema and hotel. Residential use has been proposed on surrounding land in the later stages of the scheme.

Rotherham Council is targeting Corporation Street in its regeneration plans.

Images: Network Auctions

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News: Council applies to demolish more Rotherham town centre buildings

More buildings are set to be demolished to make way for open space in Rotherham town centre as part of regeneration plans led by Rotherham Council.

The regeneration of Rotherham markets is identified as a key project within the Town Centre Masterplan which was adopted in 2017. Having been successful in securing £12.6m from the Government's Future High Streets Fund (FHSF), redevelopment plans are back on the table.

Black Cat Building Consultancy are progressing designs for Rotherham Markets which also includes the relocation on the central library. Works have been programmed to commence in 2022.

The proposed preferred option was to relocate the Central Library from the Council's Riverside House to the Guardian Centre, which is part of the Rotherham Markets complex facing Drummond Street. This area could also include new offices for organisations like Citizens Advice Rotherham.

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In the meantime, the council is focusing on what to do with buildings on the Eastwood Lane side of the Markets.

A planning application shows that the plan here is to demolish the former Charter Arms, the RAIN Building and the Market Arcade canopy.

The application states that the site is to be cleared in December and backfilled to create a compound that would be used for the rest of the redevelopment before ultimately becoming public realm with terrace seating and hard and soft landscaping.

Rothbiz reported last year on the authority's plans to buy the former pub from the RNN Group (Rotherham College).

The masterplan talked of creating an area of new public space called "college fields" between the market and college campus. Last year the council said that: "The location has further been identified for high-quality public realm introduced as a place for users of the redeveloped markets. This also includes RNN's students and the public to use as a social space to meet, eat and relax."

Citizens Advice, which is currently based in the RAIN Building is already telling users: "Our office is being demolished and our new office is not available until Nov 2022. Therefore our service will continue to be delivered by phone, webchat and video chat."

Public realm improvements are well underway in the town centre and further phases include creating a new Market Square, and Eastwood Gardens.

Images: Google Maps / RMBC

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News: Sweet smell of success for Rotherham home fragrance business

A Rotherham entrepreneur who was made redundant during the pandemic has expanded his luxury home fragrance business with a brand-new workspace just six months after its launch.

Tom Justice started producing handmade bespoke candles as gifts for friends and family as a money saving exercise while he was furloughed from his job as a retail manager.

However, when news of his products started to spread and official orders started to pour in the 24-year-old quit his job and officially set up the Just Wicks online shop in order to keep up with demand. His Facebook page already boasts almost 3k followers.

Selling everything from wax melts & burners, candles, decorative candles, reed diffusers, home cologne, hand & body wash and bath bombs, to shower steamers, car air fresheners, carpet freshener and electric burners, the business has gone from strength to strength since its launch in April this year.

When restrictions lifted over the summer the ambitious entrepreneur also secured a Kickstart grant from UKSE – a business that invests in steel areas across the UK - which allowed him to invest in additional products and display equipment so thar he could also attend artisan markets across the region.

Now, in order to keep up with a surge in sales to coincide with the countdown to Christmas, Tom has just signed for Just Wicks’ very first unit in Dinnington to store more stock and facilitate the expansion of the business. The firm has teken space in RiDO's Matrix business centre.

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Tom said: “It has truly been a whirlwind over the last six months.

“What started as a hobby to keep myself occupied and to save a few pennies during the pandemic has turned into a rather demanding business, with sales rocketing from just a couple hundred pounds a month to thousands.

“I am incredibly grateful to my friends and family who waxed lyrical about my products and gave me the confidence to take the next steps, and to UKSE for the Kickstart grant which allowed me to scale up and take advantage of the sales opportunities at the artisan markets.”

Despite a growing national online client base, Tom says his diary is currently full of events local to his South Yorkshire base having had pop-up stalls at Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Elsecar Heritage Centre and St Margaret’s Parish Church in Swinton over the past month alone.

He added: “We’ve been overwhelmed with the support that we have received from our customers both online, and at the various events that we have attended.

“It got to a point now where we really needed to expand in order to keep up with the demand and so we are on the lookout for a warehouse to store more products. At the moment we are operating solely from home and it’s not really sustainable.

“Currently I have some help from my partner, but I expect we will need to recruit in the near future if we are going to be able to deal with the influx of orders.”

Steve Lyon, Regional Executive at UKSE commented: “Just Wicks is another great example of the sort of entrepreneurial spirit that we have here in South Yorkshire, and the success of the business today is a real testament to Tom’s drive and perseverance.

“As we enter the Christmas period, I have no doubt that he will continue to build on his success and we wish him every success for the future – especially as he looks to expand with the acquisition of new businesses premises and new team members.”

Just Wicks website
UKSE website

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News: SteelPhalt opens new asphalt plant in Rotherham

Rotherham-based SteelPhalt has opened new asphalt plants for the first time in sixty years.

The new plants, located in Cardiff and an additional plant at the existing Rotherham facility, manufacture sustainable asphalt products using 95% recycled aggregates. This manufacturing process has a carbon footprint that is 40% less than the asphalt manufacturing process that uses natural aggregate.

SteelPhalt - part of the Harsco group of companies - has been developing and manufacturing high performance asphalt products for the UK road making industry since the 1960s. Its extensive Rotherham facility is at Templeborough.

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Martin Gray, managing director of SteelPhalt, said: "We are able to provide an innovative approach to quality management of slag by transforming it into a high-quality material that can be used in asphalt products. Using our technical and operational expertise we have designed products to harness the unique properties of slag to provide asphalt products that are not only reducing the need for quarried aggregate, but also providing a more durable and safer road surface."

The new plant in Rotherham will be located on the same site as SteelPhalt’s existing Rotherham plant, which is the busiest independent asphalt plant in the UK. The opening of an additional plant on the site will allow for an increase in service and product offering as demand for more sustainable asphalt products increases.

Gray added: "Opening these additional plants offers Harsco another resource for the handling of slag from our steel mill customers while also responding to the ever-increasing demand to be more sustainable and mindful of our impact in everything we do. SteelPhalt offers a solution that is beneficial for our steel mill customers, asphalt customers and the environment."

Steelphalt website

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News: Hotel plans approved for historic Rotherham building

Part of the former Effingham Works on the edge of Rotherham town centre is set to be converted into a hotel under newly approved plans.

The relocation of Rotherham retailer, Fosters Cycles, saw part of the building go up for auction at the start of 2015 with a guide price of £100,000. The 10,000 sq ft property sold afterwards.

Plans to turn the historic building into houses in multiple occupation (HMO) were refused due to its close proximity to allocated industrial and business sites.

An updated set of plans were submitted last year for a hotel with applicant, Mr D Butt, stating that: "The issues raised within the previous application relating to the impact of noise and odour on the proposed residents can be suitably mitigated and controlled and as such the development instead is acceptable and compatible with the surrounding area."

Beatson Clark's huge glass production facility is next door to the building.

The application added: "The proposed hotel use is a materially different use to a full time residential use such as HMO’s and the amenity requirements of hotel guests are materially different.

"In order to address concerns relating to noise and odour from the adjoining use to the north the proposal seeks to re-use existing windows to the north but have them fixed shut, non-opening and equipped with acoustic glazing. Ventilation to rooms on the north side of the building would be provided by an internal air-conditioning/heating and ventilation system that would serve the whole hotel.

"It is the applicant's intention to arrange his business so that it largely caters for visitors to Rotherham. The proposal would bring back into use what is currently an underused property and require minimal external alterations. The use would therefore bring this building back into use and enhance and preserve the building."

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The plans, now approved by Rotherham Council, are for a 23 bedroom hotel.

One condition of the planning approval is that it is only for a hotel use for short term guests, as any future long term residential stays (eg more than one month) for use as their main residence is likely to fall within the category of a HMO.

The three storey property makes up a large portion of the former Effingham Works, a rare surviving piece of industrial architecture in Rotherham. The imposing building was built in 1855 for stove grate manufacturers, Yates and Haywood, in front and around their original building. It was reputed at the time it was built to be the largest factory of its kind in the world.

James Yates trained as a model-maker for the famous Walker family but in 1823 he took over the Walkers' Foundry business and went into partnership with Charles Samuel Roberts Sandford at the Phoenix Works. The partnership was dissolved in 1838 and Yates took the Rotherham Foundry which specialised in stove grate work. He also acquired the premises of the Masbrough Flax Works upon the site of which the Effingham Works was later erected.

Yates remained on his own until 1846 when George Haywood and John Drabble were taken into partnership and the company took the name Yates, Haywood and Co. Having received considerable praise for their work at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park, the firm went on to prosper from its new premises. In the end, the company was taken over by William Heaton Holdings Ltd in 1967 and closed down in 1970.

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News: Muse makes progress to attract tenants to Forge Island

Muse Developments is pushing ahead with detailed technical designs in an effort to steal a march on other schemes and tie down food & beverage (f&b) operators for Forge Island.

The Council-owned site in Rotherham town centre, which sits between the River Don and South Yorkshire Navigation Canal, will host a new leisure scheme with an 8-screen boutique style cinema, modern hotel, food and drink outlets and car parking.

Major hotel brand, Travelodge, recently exchanged a long-term deal to become an anchor tenant. This followed the news earlier in the year that boutique cinema operator, The Arc, had agreed to open its seventh site at the scheme.

To capitalise on securing the anchor tenants, Rotherham Council and Muse have agreed to accelerate detailed designs that they say will increase the attractiveness of the scheme to f&b occupiers and provides the best opportunity of securing an early start on site.

At the time of securing the approval of the planning board in 2020, developers anticipated that construction would begin in autumn 2021.

Work on the public realm by the canal and demolition work on Corporation Street has taken place so far.

The approved plans include a 40 cover café/bar area in the hotel plus a separate 2,500 sq ft restaurant unit. A separate building adjacent to the hotel is for a 5,400 sq ft restaurant and a 1,500 sq ft café is planned for an open area called "Millgate Place."

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Council papers state: "There are few schemes for occupiers to consider that are so well advanced with anchor pre-lets of an 8-screen cinema and a hotel. Further progressing the scheme, to a stage where construction is ready to start, will maximise a window of opportunity during which competition from other schemes is relatively low, locally and regionally, allowing deals to be secured at incentive/rents that are most favourable to the Council."

Papers show that, after exchanging contracts on the hotel, Muse will have spent around £750,000 to date on design and legal fees. The total estimated further cost (including a contingency allowance) to progress the next stage of detailed technical design to the point of tendering the works and awarding a construction contract is over £1m.

Muse therefore sought an agreement from the Council to allow them to proceed to incur the costs on the basis that, should the Council decide not to progress with the scheme for any reason, Muse is indemnified against its abortive costs in preparing detailed technical design - ie. Muse would be compensated.

The paper adds: "Muse has stated its commitment to continue to progress the scheme with or without an agreement to progress detailed technical design at this stage. However, without an agreement this is likely to progress at a slower pace as Muse will work to secure occupiers before committing to detailed technical design resulting in development stages progressing sequentially."

In 2019, a 250 year lease with Muse was proposed. The agreement included an option for the developer to ask the Council to take an over-riding lease of the scheme. Reducing some of the risks for the developer, this would involve the authority subletting and collecting rents from operators, which would generate an income stream to fund the head lease costs.

Detailed technical design is due to start in October 2021.

Forge Island website

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News: Reaction to restart of Rotherham steelworks

The news that Liberty is to invest £50m into restarting steel production at its Aldwarke site in Rotherham has been welcomed and described as a "step in the right direction."

The company, part of Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance, employs hundreds of staff in South Yorkshire and has struggled following the collapse of its principal lender, Greensill Capital.

In an update on restructuring and refinancing progress, GFG said that it will inject £50m of shareholder funds into Liberty Steel UK to allow time to prove the operations can run efficiently which will enable them to finalise longer term debt restructuring.

Wentworth & Dearne MP John Healey said: “This is a breakthrough after months while Liberty workers have been left in limbo. Liberty is at the heart of steelmaking in Rotherham, and we’ve been holding our breath for the working capital to restart production. But £50 million won’t be enough for long, so full long-term refinancing for Liberty UK now needs to follow rapidly from the deal for Liberty Australia. Only then, will Rotherham breathe more easily.

“It’s a year since I first met with Sanjeev Gupta on site at Rotherham to discuss Liberty’s future financing and growth. He’s proved the company can get new finance agreed with creditors for Australia, now they must do the same for the UK.

“Urgent government action is also needed to deal with the growing crisis for firms hit by the crippling rise in their energy costs. British Ministers have so far washed their hands of this growing crisis, when governments in the rest of Europe have stepped in to support their industry, even though their steelmakers have lower energy costs.”

Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis said: "This is a welcome announcement for the steel industry and South Yorkshire, which will get operations up and running at two key sites in our region.

"Steel is a strategic sector for the UK economy and with the right support can have a bright future - providing good jobs and prosperity with the transition to green steel.

"That's why we need industry, government and trade unions to continue working together to safeguard steel's future, protecting jobs and businesses in the supply chain for the long-term."

Roy Rickhuss CBE, General Secretary of Community, the steelworkers’ union, said: “This news is well overdue, but it’s an important step in the right direction and demonstrates that GFG can raise funds for the UK. Huge challenges remain but the workforce is ready to get back to making the best steels money can buy, and the £50 million injection will enable us to restart steelmaking.

"The Government must play their part and act now to protect our industry from the consequences of soaring energy prices. Other European countries have already acted, and Britain’s steelworkers want to know why our politicians are sitting on their hands. Brexit was supposed to make it easier for the Government to back British industry and British jobs, but we’re just seeing the same old hand-wringing and excuses for doing nothing.”

Liberty website

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News: The Vikings are coming to Rotherham!

An exciting new venture has targeted a former tea room in Rotherham town centre to land a Viking-themed venue, complete with drinking horns and battle axes..

The Longhouse is currently being created on the High Street in Rotherham town centre. It is from the family that has already created BattleAxe Urban Axe Throwing - Sheffield's "most" must do pre-evening leisure activity.

The sport of axe throwing has spread like wildfire over the past two decades. It is described as being like darts, ten-pin bowling or crown green bowls, but with an edge.

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The Longhouse in Rotherham is set to create a Cafe / Bar / Bistro in the former Guest's Tea Rooms, whose secret garden at the rear is destined to be invaded.

BattleAxe opened inside the Paint Factory on Rutland Road in Sheffield in 2018. Since then, the business has expanded and created a mobile setup where throwing lanes, targets and axes can be taken out to various events and festivals, even weddings. You may have seen them entertaining the crowds at the recent Rotherham Show.

"Axeperts" are on hand to teach throwers the ways of the Viking, and of course issue a safety briefing.

The Longhouse website

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News: Wentworth Woodhouse celebrates completion of major roof work

Another rainy night in Rotherham, another 180 buckets overflowing with rainwater in the steadily decaying 18th century rooms at Wentworth Woodhouse.

When the Preservation Trust took over the Grade I listed stately home in March 2017 with just six staff, emptying the buckets and mopping up was one of many backbreaking and crucial tasks.

But the buckets are now redundant and the Trust is celebrating a major milestone.

After almost two years of specialist repairs to the roof over the State Rooms, costing £5.5m, Phase 2 of the repair programme is now complete - and the majority of the Palladian-style East Front of the mansion is now water-tight.

Rainwater no longer pours in through holes in historic roofs. Ancient, overflowing guttering and drainpipes have been repaired or replaced, stone features created by artisan masons almost 250 years ago have been painstakingly restored.

Emergency roof repairs have also made endangered sections of the historic Stables and Riding School safe.

The achievements and challenges of this colossal project, which was carried out on-budget, and remained on-schedule during the pandemic, were highlighted at a celebratory event on Wednesday October 6.

Gathered in the mansion’s Long Gallery, where rows of rain buckets stood before its own roof repairs were carried out, trustees, supporters and representatives from the organisations who had played their part heard how many years of neglect have been repaired to the highest of conservation standards and the workload involved.

Phase 2 repairs began in 2019. Urgent works across the site had been carried out from August 2017 to March 2019 , and Phase 1 repairs at the Riding School and the mansion’s Bedlam Wing and Chapel ran from March 2018 to January 2020.

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The three repair projects were funded by a £7.6 million Treasury grant awarded to the Trust by Chancellor Philip Hammond in his Autumn 2016 Statement.

Before Phase 2 work could start, scaffold on an epic scale had to be designed. Once erected it encased the mansion in a shell comprised of 700 tonnes of scaffold poles towering 30 metres tall.

Then heritage craftsmen working for project contractors Robert Woodhead Ltd, with guidance and support from Historic England and architects Donald Insall Associates, began repairing roofs the size of three football pitches over the mansion’s central block and Long Gallery.

The Trust’s CEO Sarah McLeod said: “The project has been one of the most exciting and challenging heritage projects of a generation. Every single person involved has played a vital role - from the contractors through to our volunteers who led tours on our rooftops, enabling the public to watch work progressing.

She added: “We’ve had many challenges to go through. The scale of Wentworth Woodhouse and its sad state brought particular problems, which expertise and skill overcame.

“Then came the global pandemic. We overcame that too; the site was closed for just five weeks and supplies of materials were maintained.

“The project has been a triumph. The building is now protected for future generations to enjoy and the Preservation Trust can move on to other vital repair and restoration tasks.”

In January 2021, specialist conservators were also able to start essential repairs to the roof of the North Pavilion, which sits at one end of the Palladian East Front, and the North and South Quadrants.

These repairs were funded by a £811,000 lifeline grant issued during the pandemic by the government’s Culture Recovery Fund. The grant was administered by Historic England and matched with money remaining in the Phase 2 budget and grants from The Swire Charitable Trust, The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity and private donations resulting from a successful public appeal.

The six-month North Pavilion project saw the roof and its stonework, cornices and guttering repaired and key features on the tower restored.

A centuries-old 400kg weather vane was repaired and re-gilded in gold leaf.

Clock restorer Andrew Bates, of Bygone Times in Elsecar, painstakingly restored the tower clock’s mechanisms and gilded the hands. Its two large faces were replaced by Robert Woodhead Ltd.

Giles Proctor, conservation architect for Historic England, the organisation whose expertise has guided the project throughout, commented: “The work to date has been an enormous achievement, protecting the priceless interiors of the East Front and the Long Gallery from further deterioration and rescuing the Bedlam Wing from imminent ruin. “ About 55 per cent of the mansion’s roofs have been repaired, so there remains much to do, but in an astonishingly short time the Trust has secured the future of this magnificent building.”

Wentworth Woodhouse website

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News: Delays to bridge work results in reduced stadium capacity

As a result of the ongoing bridge repair works on nearby Don Street, capacity at AESSEAL New York Stadium has been reduced by 1,500, until such time as the works are completed.

Fans have returned to Rotherham United games this year but before the season started, the League One club warned supporters of temporary bridge repair works on Don Street that resulted in access to the stadium from that location being restricted.

It was envisaged that there would be no pedestrian or vehicular access to the stadium via Don Street until mid-October. The flood gates at Rotherham Council's Riverside House have been opened on matchdays to allow supporters access to Don Street via the authority's car park and exit plans for high profile games needed to be redrawn using these two egress routes to ensure that segregation of fans is maintained.

An update last week said that works were now due to complete in December.

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A statement from the club said: "As a result of the ongoing bridge repair works on Don Street, Rotherham United can confirm that it has been agreed with our local Safety Advisory Group that our capacity at AESSEAL New York Stadium be reduced by 1,500, until such time as the works are completed.

"Whilst we know that this will cause some disappointment amongst our supporters, we must reaffirm that this decision has been made in the interest of the safety of everyone attending fixtures at our stadium.

"The bridge repair works on Don Street are currently projected to be finished in December this year, meaning that we will be unable to welcome supporters to the stadium’s maximum capacity of 12,008 until this period is over."

Recommended reading: How to Get More Confident at the Blackjack Table

It looks like the club has now lost out on the chance to sell more tickets for the fourth v fifth clash against Sunderland on October 30, which has sold out.

Millions is due to be spent in the area relating to flood alleviation work with plans recently approved for new phases including flood defences from Ickles Lock to Centenary Way and a new canal barrier at Forge Island.

RUFC website

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News: Care home plans back in for former Rotherham fire station site

New plans have been submitted for a new 66-bed residential care home on the site of a former fire station in Rotherham.

LNT Care Developments, the UK's leading purpose-built residential care home developer and constructor, wants to resurrect a scheme for Knollbeck Lane in Brampton where a similar scheme was approved in 2014.

The 1.31 acre site is currently vacant, cleared after the empty fire station suffered a large fire in 2011.

LNT has developed 130 care homes specifically for the care of older people, for third-party clients as well as its own subsidiary.

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Plans for Rotherham show a 33,000 sq ft purpose built care facility for older people - a two-storey building with single room accomodation with ensuite facilities plus internal and external amenity spaces and a 25 space car park.

The plans state: "The care homes built by LNT are designed with resident's comfort at heart, and provide excellent day-to-day amenities, services and comforts in-house. In this case, this includes main lounges / dining rooms, café/bars, quiet lounges / family rooms, a garden room, a cinema room, a shop and hair studio."

If approved, the development would create 42 full time and 20 part time jobs.

In its latest accounts for the year ending 31 March 2020, LNT Group said that, due to strengthening investment appetite for care home assets, the number of developments and selling prices have increased.

LNT website

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News: Businesses and charities invited to Google training session

Local MP John Healey is hosting a training session for small businesses and charities with internet giant Google on October 15.

The online event will be an opportunity for small businesses to discuss the challenges they’re facing following the pandemic, and to get tailored advice on reaching more people online.

Wentworth & Dearne MP, John said: “The pandemic has been really tough for small businesses, and many have had to adapt very quickly and carry out more transactions online to survive.

“I want to hear from businesses and charities in the constituency about any help they need as we open up again, and I want to help them access free advice from Google on how they can grow.”

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Google’s Digital Garage is a non-profit nationwide project that aims to provide people with the skills needed to succeed in the digital age, from how to develop their web presence, grow their business or charities online, improve their career prospects or just build their confidence by using online tools for the first time.

The programme from Google delivers free digital skills training via an online learning platform. This platform provides individuals with a tailored training plan to learn digital skills, completely for free.

The interactive webinar hosted by John will be led by a Google trainer who will provide tips and tricks on improving organisations’ digital marketing strategies, as well as tailored advice for businesses and charities who want to grow and reach more customers online.

Event website

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News: Liberty to pump £50m into UK, restarting production in Rotherham

£50m of new funding is to be injected into UK operations enabling the restart of Liberty Steel's core Rotherham electric arc furnace.

Earlier this year Liberty Steel appointed four experienced board directors to lead and accelerate a restructuring and refinancing in order to protect and maximise creditor and stakeholder value. It was the firm's response to the collapse of its principal lender, Greensill Capital.

The company, part of Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance, employs hundreds of staff in South Yorkshire, including at Aldwarke in Rotherham.

In an update on restructuring and refinancing progress, GFG said that it had agreed a debt restructuring with Credit Suisse for its Australian business.

In the UK, GFG said that it will inject £50m of shareholder funds into Liberty Steel UK (LSUK), through a new separate corporate entity Liberty Capital. LSUK will run as normal with funding for growth in working capital approved through Liberty Capital.

The update said that: "This arrangement will ensure fast and effective deployment of the £50m in initial funds in the UK, enabling LSUK to restart its operations. This will allow time to prove the operations can run efficiently which will enable them to finalise longer term debt restructuring."

At Aldwarke there is a significant opportunity to expand recycling of scrap steel for growth markets such as infrastructure and engineering. Production ramp up will commence in October 2021 with a plan to reach 50,000 tonnes per month as soon as possible.

The restart of operations will enable staff to return to work, many from furlough, setting the platform for LSUK’s longer term refinancing and delivery of its plan to expand Rotherham’s capacity, creating a two million tonnes per annum GREENSTEEL plant.

The GREENSTEEL strategy focuses on using electric arc furnaces, like the one at Aldwarke in Rotherham, to recycle scrap steel, rather than producing all material from scratch, as well as using renewable sources of energy.

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Liberty said that the latest investment plans in Rotherham will boost production capacity, increase employment and introduce new products. The plans have been presented to and reviewed by industry consultants on behalf of Trade Unions. A separate report was prepared by advisors to the significant lenders to the UK businesses. LSUK’s downstream operations remain core to LSUK’s asset base and will provide downstream capacity for Rotherham’s output, enabling increased shift opportunities at the Thrybergh and Scunthorpe mills.

As part of restructuring Liberty said in May that it would look to sell its aerospace and special alloys steel business in Stocksbridge and other downstream plants, such as the narrow strip mill at Brinsworth, Rotherham.

The latest injection of funding will also enable LSUK’s speciality steel division to run focussed production campaigns for key customers. This will support business continuity, establish a stable operating environment and create an attractive asset.

Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman of GFG Alliance, said: "GFG’s injection of funding to restart the LIBERTY Steel UK operations is an important step on our road to creating a sustainable UK business. It will allow time to prove the operations can run efficiently which will enable us to finalise longer debt restructuring. The plan highlights the progress we have made since Greensill’s collapse and has secured the support of both creditors and unions.

“LIBERTY believes as strongly as ever that its GREENSTEEL strategy is the way to reinvent the UK steel sector for a sustainable future. The funding commitment we’re making at Rotherham will safeguard jobs, enable us to benefit from strong outlook for our core sectors and lay the platform to create a sustainable UK business that will generate skilled jobs in industrial communities."

Liberty Steel website

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News: Rotherham to host high profile national business debate

Sky News has chosen Rotherham to launch Big Ideas Live, the first in a series of live in-person events designed to bring together a diversity of views from around the country in a bid to brainstorm solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing the UK today.

The broadcaster’s biggest names will be joined by business leaders, industry commentators and political players in an interactive, conference-style setting to explore ideas surrounding the most prominent issues in our society. Each event is designed to address one area of specialism – ranging from Business and Economics, Arts, Climate, Science and Health, and Technology.

Held on October 12 at Magna in the former Templeborough steel works, a symbol of South Yorkshire’s industrial heritage, the first event will explore "How to fire up UK business & the economy in the wake of the pandemic."

Sky News’ Economics and Data Editor Ed Conway, Business Presenter Ian King, and presenters Trevor Phillips and Samantha Washington will host panels and interviews with guests including the former Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney, the Chief Executive of Siemens UK Carl Ennis, UK Managing Director of Arla Foods, Ash Amirahmadi, climate activist and former Mayor of Sheffield Magid Magid and CEO of Smart Green Shipping - Diane Gilpin. There will also be contributions from an in-person audience of regional business voices.

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Analysis from the Sky News data journalism team will explore what the data tells us about how the pandemic has impacted UK business and the economy. The event will focus on the future of jobs, the future of green growth and the future of the North as a powerhouse for economic growth post-pandemic.

John Ryley, Head of Sky News said: “Sky News has proven through the past 18 months that we provide a vital public service to make the critical topics of our day accessible and relatable to our viewers. This is an ambitious next step to take Sky News’ specialists live into communities around the country and examine some very big ideas.

“Our Business and Economics Specialists and Data journalists are the among the best in the business, so this first topic was an obvious choice. Big Ideas Live will step away from rolling news and instead create a format to break down the important issues of our time, starting with reigniting UK business and the economy.

Magna Science Adventure Centre is a family attraction with more than 100 hands-on exhibits. Millions of pounds have been invested in conference facilities at the centre which is operated by a charity, the Magna Trust.

In 2019, Magna hosted The Convention of the North which featured a headline speech by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Magna website

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News: Queen’s Award success lifts growth for weighing specialist

A Rotherham-based healthcare and industrial manufacturing company has successfully signed up five new international distributors across Europe and South East Asia since their Queen’s Award win for the Marsden Patient Transfer Scale.

The presentation of the award was made to Chief Executive, Mark Holdaway, during a special visit to Marsden by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Mr Andrew Coombe, who presented the company with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation. The presentation was also attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Rotherham as well as the local Chamber of Commerce.

Marsden earned the prestigious award, in recognition for the work undertaken to pioneer and develop the unique Patient Transfer Scale, which helps to ensure an accurate weight is taken prior to vital life-saving treatment for patients admitted to hospital.

Rothbiz reported on the award success for the Templeborough firm in April.

Co-invented by nurse Gillian Taylor, Marsden worked with its partners including Scottish Health Innovations Limited and NHS Lanarkshire to develop Gillian’s original idea and successfully launched it in 2018. Today, the product can be found in more than 65% of all NHS Trusts across the UK and it is also sold worldwide.

The success of Marsden’s Patient Transfer Scale has coincided with a significant period of growth for the business and has also seen the company create a number of new roles within the business, including the appointment of a new Product and Commercial Director, who will be responsible for developing more new innovative products within the healthcare sector.

Following the success enjoyed with its Patient Transfer Scale, Marsden has also recently launched a new portable weighing scale, designed to help community-based nurses and health visitors take accurate weight measurements of wheelchair-bound patients.

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Mark Holdaway, Chief Executive, Marsden said: “Receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise from the Lord Lieutenant was, without doubt, the highlight of a very special year for Marsden, one which saw us celebrate our 95th anniversary.

“The success of the Patient Transfer Scale is the result of the observations of a nurse, who spotted an opportunity to solve a patient care problem. Working with our partners we were able to help her transform her initial idea into a highly effective product which helps thousands of healthcare workers across the world to obtain accurate weights for critically ill patients, enabling potentially life-saving medication to be administered. Gillian Taylor continues to work as a Clinical Consultant for Marsden to help engage and support UK and international customers.

“Since securing the Queen’s Award, we’ve not rested on our laurels. We have enjoyed a significant period of growth enabling us to invest in expanding internationally, bring new products to market, create new jobs and ultimately help healthcare professionals to deliver a better patient experience.”

Mr Andrew Coombe, Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire said: “The Queen’s Award for Enterprise was created to recognise the outstanding achievements of businesses across the UK and with a long history of innovation and the success Marsden has achieved with its Patient Transfer Scale, the award is well deserved.

“Marsden is a terrific example of the incredible work which is being undertaken by the manufacturing sector in South Yorkshire. The success they have enjoyed is helping to showcase the incredible work being undertaken by businesses across the region.”

Established in 1926, Marsden specialises in producing a range of bespoke weighing solutions to the healthcare, veterinary and industrial sectors. In 2001 the company opened a dedicated manufacturing facility within Rotherham and is a member of the UK Weighing Federation and is accredited by SGS Limited.

Marsden website

Images: Marsden

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