News: Riverside park plans replace proposed residential block
Muse, Rotherham Council's development partner on the Forge Island regeneration scheme in the town centre, is not going ahead with a future part of the scheme.
A prominent site, long ear-marked for residential use, is instead set to become a riverside park.
Plans have now been submitted to create Riverside Gardens on an area extending from the recently demolished Riverside Precinct, covering the old abattoir site behind Market Street, most recently used as a riverside car park now considered to be surplus to requirements, and passing the Old Market, Keppel Wharf and Westgate Chambers residential developments.
With the pedestrianisation of part of Market Street and Domine Lane, the aim is to form an entrance leading to Riverside Gardens and Forge Island from the town centre.
When Muse secured planning permission for the cinema, hotel and food & drink units on Forge Island it used a hybrid planning application, outlining plans for later phases - 50 riverside residential units on land known as the abattoir site and 70 residential units on the site of the former courts buildings.
The latest planning application confirms: "[The application] incorporated Riverside Car Park within a wider scheme which include Forge Island and The Statutes to the west. The scheme sought to deliver two residential blocks on Riverside Car Park Site, however Muse Developments have confirmed that this residential element will not be delivered.
"Conversations between the Council and Muse Developments have confirmed that the residential element of the Forge Island scheme will not come forward, thereby leaving the site vacant and underused. This has created a risk that the Riverside Car Park element will not be redeveloped and could potentially be an undeveloped void in between Rotherham Town Centre and Forge Island.
"It is this which has led RiDO to pursue the proposed development to ensure a key area is not overlooked in the regeneration efforts of Rotherham Town Centre."
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Following a period of consultation, a new proposal has been drawn up by the council's contractors, Tetra Tech (formerly WYG), for new public realm including a landscaping scheme and the pedestrianisation of Market Street and Domine Lane. It is not considered that the site could accommodate retail development.
Aspects include a play area with a slide, climbing slope, timber logs and other natural play-based elements, soft landscaping to form a stepped profile which can be used for natural play, a plaza to accommodate outdoor seating and a new public artwork. The final design details of this artwork are being determined, however it is set to be a large sized interactive and educational sculptural piece which spells "Rotherham."
Domine Lane and Market Street will be permanently closed to vehicular traffic and pedestrianised. Another piece of artwork, in the form of a pair of corten steel arches, is proposed to be included along Domine Lane.
The application adds that the proposals will "create a unique space within the town centre which will attract users from within the Borough and encourage
additional dwell time through providing a space for recreation and social activities. Additionally, the art piece is intended to be a bold statement which signifies, strengthens and promotes Rotherham’s identity, and may act as a draw within its own right."
The plans also hint at further development proposals around the reuse of former bank buildings on Corporation Street, "however the designs for this are not available at this stage."
Images: RiDO / Tetra Tech
A prominent site, long ear-marked for residential use, is instead set to become a riverside park.
Plans have now been submitted to create Riverside Gardens on an area extending from the recently demolished Riverside Precinct, covering the old abattoir site behind Market Street, most recently used as a riverside car park now considered to be surplus to requirements, and passing the Old Market, Keppel Wharf and Westgate Chambers residential developments.
With the pedestrianisation of part of Market Street and Domine Lane, the aim is to form an entrance leading to Riverside Gardens and Forge Island from the town centre.
When Muse secured planning permission for the cinema, hotel and food & drink units on Forge Island it used a hybrid planning application, outlining plans for later phases - 50 riverside residential units on land known as the abattoir site and 70 residential units on the site of the former courts buildings.
The latest planning application confirms: "[The application] incorporated Riverside Car Park within a wider scheme which include Forge Island and The Statutes to the west. The scheme sought to deliver two residential blocks on Riverside Car Park Site, however Muse Developments have confirmed that this residential element will not be delivered.
"Conversations between the Council and Muse Developments have confirmed that the residential element of the Forge Island scheme will not come forward, thereby leaving the site vacant and underused. This has created a risk that the Riverside Car Park element will not be redeveloped and could potentially be an undeveloped void in between Rotherham Town Centre and Forge Island.
"It is this which has led RiDO to pursue the proposed development to ensure a key area is not overlooked in the regeneration efforts of Rotherham Town Centre."
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Following a period of consultation, a new proposal has been drawn up by the council's contractors, Tetra Tech (formerly WYG), for new public realm including a landscaping scheme and the pedestrianisation of Market Street and Domine Lane. It is not considered that the site could accommodate retail development.
Aspects include a play area with a slide, climbing slope, timber logs and other natural play-based elements, soft landscaping to form a stepped profile which can be used for natural play, a plaza to accommodate outdoor seating and a new public artwork. The final design details of this artwork are being determined, however it is set to be a large sized interactive and educational sculptural piece which spells "Rotherham."
Domine Lane and Market Street will be permanently closed to vehicular traffic and pedestrianised. Another piece of artwork, in the form of a pair of corten steel arches, is proposed to be included along Domine Lane.
The plans also hint at further development proposals around the reuse of former bank buildings on Corporation Street, "however the designs for this are not available at this stage."
Images: RiDO / Tetra Tech
20 comments:
All for this.
Great idea.
Love the fact Rotherham will be in large man made letter's.
Bring it on.
😁😁
Rotherham is leading the way!!! More green spaces for the town centre, its turning into a green space town centre..... yet all of the outlying green belt is being dug up for houses.
Or huge warehouses!
Sounds good 👏
Thought that but would be pulled,was over 4 storeys so far to high rise for "Toytown"Rotherham.The towns run like a small rural parish,the council's lack of ambition is embarrassing!
More areas for druggies to hang about,pretty sure the local Roma families will love the slides and play area!This town is a joke,ran by clowns,were the laughing stock of South Yorkshire!
Just a ghetto
Looks like that fancy cgi they did of "riverside"walk with appartment blocks on will need binning! Couldn't make it up, probably Forge island will.end up being 2screen ,a chip shop an ice cream van and a Bed and Breakfast,joke of a town!
So the best our planning can come up with is a park, astounding, who is going to come to rotherham to view a park used by druggies and drunks. Shame on you all
Some people on here!
They must be fun at parties :)
It seems to me that some people will moan, no matter what is proposed for Rotherham centre.
So boring!
At least they are trying something more than a park bench, but this is a good spot for something different next to the river. Why not a leisure activity that can bring in some visitors and income, like Air Trail at Stockton, could have a zip wire across the river. https://www.teesactive.co.uk/air-trail-high-ropes/#air-trail
I see Mr 4 storeys is here again. Bore off mate.
Hmmm.
Where have we seen this before?
Oh yes, didn't the same thing happen on the glass and concrete development proposed on the site of the old All Saints Building?, the old Primark site was supposed to be used as a development site before RMBC stepped in with its imaginative pocket park idea.
So this is now also happening on Forge Island too. And yet the Council still doesn't learn!
Goodness knows what will happen to Corporation Street when they start knocking those buildings down.
What's problem with makeing a valid point.."PAL"Not only dose there lack of building upwards,make town look like a small village when compared to even smaller towns like Barnsley,but it's also an absolute waste of land,were a tiny island with millions to many people,they need housing and apartment blocks are the solution.As someone who actually leaves Rotherham and works allover country(unlike some)I see very few if any towns or city's that aren't now building high rise, especially locations lucky enough to have a riverside area in there centres,yet this town and the clowns that run it,build....well parks!You understand...PAL..😁👍
Nothing wrong with making a valid point, making that point on almost every post regardless of the topic is quite frankly boring as chuff
This comment is offensive
Oooooooh Nooooooo,someones complaining about comments they deam offensive.....Oh Didums,let me pass you a kleanex!🤣
I assume you mean "deem" and "Kleenex", though semantics aside clearly the website moderator agreed the comment was offensive as they have removed it.
Everything is offensive to someone today's Ultra woke society,I could say I'm offended by being a victim of "Da Gwamma police"but hey ,I can take it,I'm not a victim🤣🤣🤣
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