Wednesday, May 18, 2022

News: Council's cabinet confirms £70m Rotherham regen projects

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Regeneration projects backed by over £70m of funding have taken another step forward after Rotherham Council's cabinet agreed to the implementation of all projects within the Town Deal and Levelling Up Fund programmes.

Areas in the town centre, Eastwood, Templeborough and Parkgate are in line for an economic boost backed by the Government's Town Deal and Levelling Up Fund.

The Government has also awarded £19.9m from the Levelling Up Fund for a number of connected projects in the leisure industry.

Simon Moss, assistant director for planning, regeneration and transportation at Rotherham Council, explained to councillors: "The Town Deal essentially builds on the principle of the town centre masterplan which identified the need to diversify the offer for the town centre - more leisure activities, transforming town centres into more local centres and providing opportunities to go and do things - and of course, more housing.

"That means that the basics around providing more jobs and good transport links are as important as ever and the Town Deal and town centre Levelling Up projects are all pulling together to support those aims. It enables us to go a bit further and faster, with a proactive role in bringing sites forward.

"The leisure economy bid will help us to deliver projects across the borough, working with partners to develop those assets that we've got in the leisure economy."

In the town centre a mix of funding is set to be used to continue the development of a Riverside Residential Quarter. Masterplanning is underway for up to 279 high quality residential units, to include a mix of apartments and houses.

Money will be used for the acquisition of land owned by the private sector, the creation of a new Riverside Walk, bridge and general infrastructure around the Sheffield Road and Westgate area.

At the historic Guest & Chrimes site, the latest plans, revealed by Rothbiz, are to use £4.5m to turn this eyesore into a new leisure and cultural venue focussed on live music which would also be a fan zone on matchdays.

Funding is also being used to capitalise on the Forge Island development and extend the Leisure & Cultural Quarter with vacant buildings on Corporation Street a target for investment.

For example, the private sector is involved with the redevelopment of the former Lloyds and NatWest Bank buildings and the Council is looking to acquire the burnt out buildings at 3-7 Corporation Street using a CPO.

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Moving away from the town centre, around £6.5m from the Town Deal is set to be used to create a new "heart" of the Templeborough business zone by "bringing forward underutilised sites and creating new opportunities for businesses within accessible and pleasant public realm."

At the other side of town, plans are to create an accessible pedestrian route between Eastwood and Parkgate. Currently there are two bridges crossing the railway line and the canal, both with stepped access. This is a popular route but difficult to navigate.

Also at Parkgate, funding is set to work up proposals for a new mainline station in spite of the Government's omission in its recent rail plans. Rotherham Council and the private sector led Town Deal board are working on the business case focussing on the benefits of the station and the regeneration opportunities around it.

The leisure economy projects include investment at Magna, Wentworth Woodhouse, Thrybergh and Rother Valley Country Parks, and skills focused projects at Gulliver's Valley and Maltby Academy.

Business cases have been worked up and will be submitted to the Government with the implementation of projects subject to the Council’s assurance framework and capital programme monitoring.

The Council has also confirmed that it would enter the next round of the Levelling Up Fund with another bid focused on Dinnington and Wath town centres.

Rotherham Council's Strategic Director for Regeneration & Environment, Paul Woodcock, said: "The schemes have got a really good geographical spread. A good mix of council schemes that we lead on, but also a mix of ones where we are working with the private and other sectors in order to bring those forward."

Images: RMBC

30 comments:

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 2:30 PM  

With all these millions pounds regeneration over the last few years, why Rotherham still look like a craphole, obviously the money isn't getting to the right areas, or the people deciding where the money is going, need to rapidly be changed, no one wants to go to rotherham town centre, and this has been the issue for many many years, props move town centre to Parkgate ?? seems where everything is.

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 3:10 PM  

Very true 👍

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 3:42 PM  

Thing is town centres are no longer places for shops,they're leisure , restaurants,bars ,fun,let's hope it works in Rotherham!

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 4:19 PM  

Still no new theatre, would have thought the mecca bingo site would have been an obvious choice.... 🙄

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 5:12 PM  

The only way to "rapidly change" the people who decide where all the money is going is through the local democratic processes. Why not stand as a Councillor so that you can put forward your radical ideas for change? Or maybe you just prefer to whine?

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 5:25 PM  

Some quite encouraging things in the report, particularly with regards to the Guest & Chrimes site as well as the CPO on the buildings at the bottom of Corporation St (Not I think they'll be successful with this, but we can all hope!)

However, I am concerned about the plans for old NatWest and Lloyds Bank buildings. Both imaginatively earmarked for... flats. Two fairly impressive historic buildings destined for the wrecking ball, or radically altered with no thought or concern for architectural design. Some of the plans wouldn't look out of place in the 1960s.

I don't understand why RMBC can't see that for a town centre to thrive it needs several things to come together: easy to access (i.e. a good road infrastructure), an evening economy and a daytime economy. A strong daytime economy isn't just based on retail, but on attracting businesses to be based in the town centre. Most large companies have chosen to relocate elsewhere, why? The usual issues, parking, crime, etc. and I can't see the trend changing anytime soon. A night time economy relies upon their being a fairly good choice of things to do. The cinema will certainly help in this respect, but isn't the whole solution. I fear RMBC are placing all their eggs in the forge island basket... which will largely comprise of yet more flats.

Both the day and night economy is dependent upon creating a more business friendly approach, something which RMBC always seems to overlook.

For what it's worth, and looking at how regeneration is being handled in other South Yorkshire towns, I think once again they're spreading their resources far too thin, given the huge issues that the town centre faces. RMBC should follow Barnsley's example and embark on an ambitious re-imagination of the town centre.

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 8:49 PM  

We need more.shops not flats I do not think it will work in rotherham because I do not think they would be many taker for flats r house we needmore shops the the amount of shops it disgusting


Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 11:10 PM  

Move with the times ,town centre shopping is gone forever, appartments,bars, restaurants leisure is way forward.And why would anyone living in central Rotherham need shops?Large Tesco , and a 5 minute tram ride one way to parkgate,and a 5min tram ride other way and your in meadowhall,hardly a need for shops in Rotherham centre,bring on the leisure!!!!

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 11:12 PM  

Wouldn't waste £1 on Eastwood!!!

Anonymous,  May 18, 2022 at 11:22 PM  

Be more of the usual four storeys ghettos,where quality higher multi storey appartment blocks should be built,like they are in most other towns....but this is Rotherham,terrified to build over 4 floors,even Barnsley is building skywards now We're a joke of a town!!

Anonymous,  May 19, 2022 at 9:03 AM  

More waffle on previously "announced" projects, get it done rather than talking about it.

Dan H May 19, 2022 at 9:05 AM  

Agree entirely. The money wasted already in Eastwood in eye watering. Cctv on every street to watch fly tipping, weekly grab lorry removes all the rubbish dumped, a brand new school, Clifton comp mini bus door knocking every morning trying to round up kids to go to school and they still have weekly pink bin collections even though they all have 2 per household. How much more money do RMBC want to waste here?

Anonymous,  May 19, 2022 at 2:55 PM  

Maybe you would think differently if you lived there

Anonymous,  May 19, 2022 at 2:57 PM  

That sounds like a reasonable and sensible suggestion. Have you strayed on here by mistake?

Anonymous,  May 19, 2022 at 3:02 PM  

Generally speaking a town gets the sort of shops it's inhabitants deserve. The people who bemoan the fact that there aren't enough shops in town are those who were happy enough to shop in Meadowhall and Parkgate. Even 5 years ago we had some very good shops in Rotherham that have now gone. The old adage of "use them or lose them" was never truer. We didn't use our shops and now we have list them.

Anonymous,  May 19, 2022 at 8:57 PM  
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous,  May 20, 2022 at 6:36 AM  

How many bridges do they need? Yes some have steps, but for accessible access it's not far away from the road bridge on Rotherham Road.

I'm sure there are other areas which would benefit from a bridge, that doesn't already have several.

Anonymous,  May 20, 2022 at 6:51 AM  

Has anyone tried the current leisure selection in the town? Other than a few cafe's scattered about and pubs that don't serve food (with exception of a Wetherspoons), what choice is there for a meal out?
It can't just be down to local demographics why shops and restaurants pull out. Business rates and incentives, must be a factor. Maybe they need to look at the offerings at the Tanyard for what could be done along the river/corporation street, it's ok building another pocket park but who is going to use it if there is nothing to draw or keep you there after you've sat on another park bench.

Anonymous,  May 20, 2022 at 6:53 AM  

The people living there obviously already do.

Anonymous,  May 20, 2022 at 6:19 PM  

Eastwood doesn't get get weekly pink bin collections, it's fortnightly like everyone else! Hardly anyone has 2 pink bins anymore because most have been nicked by undesirables who can't be asked to get a new one via the proper means.

CCTV is NOT on every street and never has been, these only have been placed for a set number of weeks at the hotspots.

If people are going to comment on Eastwood, at least get your facts right!!!

Anonymous,  May 20, 2022 at 7:50 PM  

That would be a novelty for some of the regular moaners on here

Anonymous,  May 20, 2022 at 10:56 PM  

Can you sure CCTV is not on on every street? Though, anywhere will have CCTV, most houses now have their own or a ring door bell.

Anonymous,  May 20, 2022 at 11:40 PM  

Here's a fact.....it's a ****hole that should be totally demolished and the people who've ruined area in recent decade ,rehoused on.the moon,my elderly mother lived there upto last year before being driven out.Pull the lot down!

Anonymous,  May 21, 2022 at 1:15 PM  

A ring door bell? Seriously?

Anonymous,  May 21, 2022 at 1:28 PM  

Yes I can be sure CCTV is not on every street. Please feel free to come and take a look and count the cameras and door bells if you really want to prove your point. Here's guessing you won't because everyone thinks Eastwood is a ****hole!

Re-housing and demolishing will cost money though and we can't afford to waste any money on the ****hole of Eastwood now can we?





Anonymous,  May 21, 2022 at 5:51 PM  

I can 100% assure you they do not get a weekly bin collection nor do they all have 2 household waste bins

Anonymous,  May 22, 2022 at 3:09 PM  

Many of the people rubbishing Eastwood don't even know where it is. And what sad little lives they lead, wanting to denigrate an area of their own town.

Anonymous,  May 23, 2022 at 11:31 AM  

I know all about Eastwood,as said above,my elderly mother was driven out last year,got to much for her,you should open your eyes and stop being blind , obviously due too your political leanings!

Anonymous,  May 23, 2022 at 10:47 PM  

*most houses anywhere (i.e. across the borough) have CCTV /video doorbells. I wasn't being derogatory against Eastwood isolating it as being different, take a walk on duke of Norfolk estate, whiston, Eastwood or East dene, cameras aren't expensive and any house in any area has them. Thank you for offers to walk around counting doorbells, I was walking through Eastwood last month though didn't take the time to count door bells. What I did notice was the great park with the modern primary school at one end. A nice park with play areas for and benches. Shame that it looked like some of the benches had been vandalised and fires lit in the central circle.
Like a lot of areas children complain there's nothing to do, then it gets vandalised.
I have been visiting Eastwood for over 10 years, and it has changed a lot. ****hole might be right for some parts, which have got worse. And some areas are an eye opener that people in a 1st world country still live like this.

Anonymous,  May 24, 2022 at 7:42 PM  

A bit like Whiston then

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