News: Bloom town - Rotherham to host RHS flower show

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced that Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham will host one of its prestigious flower shows next year.

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity and aims to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.

Changes are being made to the world-class shows, that celebrate the best of UK horticulture, design and talent, which will see them taken to new locations around the country. Working with more communities and schools to promote gardening to as many people as possible.

The organisors of the Chelsea Flower Show, the world’s greatest and most famous gardening event, are introducing an event in the grounds of the Grade I-listed stately home at Wentworth Woodhouse in 2025.

A major boost for tourism in Rotherham, the show is likely to compare to the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in Cheshire that hosts around 80,000 visitors.

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Helena Pettit, RHS Director of Shows, Commercial and Innovation, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be introducing a new RHS Show at Wentworth Woodhouse next year. It’s a beautiful location with historic gardens but also part of an area that has big plans for regeneration that we’re proud to play a part in. Working with Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council we’ll be able to reach out to local communities, schools, designers, nurseries and all the stakeholders that the RHS collaborates with and we’re excited about the opportunities these new partnerships will offer.

“As with all RHS events we plan meticulously, including working closely with Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, local statutory groups, the emergency services and public consultations so that we can deliver a world-class horticultural show that is sensitive to its environment and its communities. We hope the Show will inspire and welcome more people than ever to experience the joy and benefits of gardening.”

This announcement comes after Wentworth Woodhouse became an RHS Partner Garden at the beginning of 2023 and won Historic Houses’ Garden of the Year in 2022. The team here at Wentworth Woodhouse are understandably thrilled with this additional accolade for the fifty-acre Gardens.

Helen Flower, Events Manager at Wentworth Woodhouse, said: "We are thrilled to be partnering with the RHS and to be able to include a Flower Show in our 2025 events programme. The Gardens here at Wentworth Woodhouse are a special place and this Show will not only allow new visitors to enjoy them, but will also give our local community the opportunity to engage with something exciting and new!”

Under the ownership of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust since 2017, the 82-acre private gardens at Wentworth have become multi-tasking, all-embracing spaces beloved by the public. In 2020 they were fully opened for the first time, offering locals tranquil and beautiful spaces in the pandemic. They remain open five days a week and are a haven, a natural playground, the scene of cultural events, and places of learning for people of all abilities.

A key feature of the gardens is accessibility. In 2021, historic garden paths were rediscovered and renovated, enabling all ages and abilities to enjoy the varied landscape, and two book-in-advance garden cabins were bought to provide homes-from-home for day visitors, especially those with mobility issues or special needs.

Wentworth Woodhouse website
RHS website

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News: Investment secured for Rotherham leisure centre

Rotherham Leisure Complex is one of 300 swimming pools and leisure centres in England to have received grants to help boost their energy efficiency and keep running costs down.

On the edge of Rotherham town centre, the complex opened in 2009 and includes three swimming pools - a six lane, 25m pool, a 12m learners pool and leisure water, incorporating a 'lazy river', spa and 70m flume. Other facilities include an indoor 12m climbing tower, a multi-purpose sports hall, a fitness suite and a dance studio.

Operated by Places for People for Rotherham Council, £469,896 has been secured for upgrades. The money has come from the £60.5m Phase II of the Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) and has been split between 325 pools from more than 260 local authorities.

These grants have helped to fund projects such as installing solar panels, pool covers, LED lighting and improving insulation.

With the increase in energy costs over recent years, the Government announced the fund a year ago with the intention of both helping keep pools open in the face of financial challenges, as well as funding longer-term projects to help reduce future energy bills.

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Lisa Dodd-Mayne, executive director of place at Sport England, said: “Swimming pools and leisure centres are vital community resources and are enormously important in helping people to be physically active.

“Many pools have faced a real and significant threat to their survival this year, as local authorities and operators have battled the challenge of increased energy and wider costs, weakened reserves and difficulties with retaining staff.

“Sport England is proud of the role we’ve played in supporting these facilities through this difficult period.

“We hope today’s funding announcement will enable more public pools to improve their energy efficiency to be more environmentally and financially sustainable, so they remain available for future generations to enjoy.”

Rotherham Leisure Complex website

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News: £4m upgrade for Rotherham college campus

RNN Group is currently in the midst of a £4m brand new Construction Centre and Virtual Reality Suite build at its campus in Rotherham town centre.

The RNN Group (made up of Rotherham College, Dearne Valley College, North Notts College and University Centre Rotherham (UCR) won the award of money from the Department for Education last year and the build began in September to to remodel, repurpose and upgrade the facilities in Rotherham College’s Clifton building to provide training for Brick and Joinery students and Advanced professional construction students.

Additionally, the college has received further funds for further refurbishments to include classrooms and facilities to enhance our computing curriculum including a Virtual Reality Suite, as well as Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) classrooms.

The build is on target to be completed by September 2024 ready for a new set of learners to enjoy the facilities as well as current learners, who have been using the Rawmarsh Road Centre for a number of years, to be housed all together in the main central Rotherham College campus.

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Jason Austin, CEO and Principal said, “Construction is a core and developing area for the region and especially so following South Yorkshire becoming the UK’s first Investment Zone which will create 8,000 new jobs and bring £1.2bn of private investment by 2030.

“This build is great news for Rotherham College students both current and those starting in September as learners will be taught in state-of-the-art facilities in both construction and digital subjects, which are both key sectors.”

The Group has been granted £15m of Capital funding including a £4m T Level refurbishment project at North Notts College for Health and Social Care and Hair and Beauty as well as half a million pounds of funding for Dearne Valley College Animal Care and Land based Management, and Health where repurposing of facilities for Higher Technical Qualifications has been completed, the remainder of the funds are to be used for general improvements to the buildings and facilities.

RNN Group website

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News: Leading accident repair group planning Rotherham centre

Plans have been approved for a new Solus Vehicle Accident Repair Centre in Rotherham.

Solus is wholly owned by Aviva and operates a nationwide network of vehicle damage repair centres. It repairs and manages the loss of vehicles after a driving accident or incident, managing a third of Aviva’s overall motor damage claims.

The new site is set to be at the Catalyst development on the part of Sheffield Business Park which is in the Rotherham borough boundary, close to the Parkway.

With over 20 sites in the UK, the expansion is part of Aviva’s strategy to support customers by increasing the number of claims managed from start to finish.

Plans show how the 22,000 sq ft Unit 5 at Catalyst would utilise the warehouse unit as a vehicle repair centre which relies on the ability to undertake cosmetic repairs to bodywork, including re-spraying paintwork. As such prefabricated spay booths require installing inside, with new extract flues added. Outside, a new wet and dry valet enclosure is proposed, as is a new compressor room.

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The plans add that Solus are looking to employ 25 full time staff positions, but possibly up to 30 as the business develops.

Recently approved without going before Rotherham Council's planning board, some conditions have been attached, including a restriction in operating hours given the potential for noise distrubance in the proximity of the hotel on the business park.

The Catalyst development has been built on a 17.9-acre site that was previously kept in the green belt when Sheffield City Airport was in operation. Developer's Premcor Estates, together with joint venture partner Peveril Securities sold the development for an undisclosed sum last year.

Premcor and Peveril concluded the deal to forward sell the scheme to Mirastar, KKR Real Estate's industrial and logistics platform in Europe, having structured the deal in such a way that they undertook construction while Mirastar took on its own marketing and search for occupiers.

Occupiers include surfaces specialist, Cosentino, who took 33,608 sq ft, with JLA Group, a market leader in the supply and maintenance of commercial equipment, taking 109,166 sq ft.

Solus website

Images: Solus / Mirastar

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News: Holiday let plan for Wentworth Woodhouse's south pavilion

A leading preservation and heritage charity is developing plans to create a unique holiday let within the historic mansion at Wentworth Woodhouse.

Founded in 1965, The Landmark Trust works to save historic buildings in danger of being lost forever. Sensitive restoration offers "landmarks" a new future by making them available to everyone for self-catering holidays. The lettings income from the 200 extraordinary buildings in the charity's care supports their maintenance and survival in our landscape, culture and society.

When Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) took over the Grade I listed mansion in 2017, decades of neglect had left one of the finest homes in the UK in a sorry state.

The 2018 masterplan had initial proposals for the area known as "Bedlam" - a suite of rooms once reserved for boisterous Georgian bachelors on the south wing of the house - to be converted into commercial spaces attractive to national PLCs and local companies.

When the masterplan was drawn up discussions around the significant capital outlay required for residential units, and the uncertainty around Brexit, meant that the project team opted for commercial uses.

But now pre-planning advice is being sought for residenital uses in the south wing and pavillion following the completion of repairs and restoration.

Bedlam’s roof, along with those of the mansion’s chapel and riding school, was one of the first to be tackled when £7.5m of Capital Works/emergency repairs began in late 2018, using grant funding awarded in the Chancellor’s Autumn 2016 Statement and managed by Historic England.

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WWPT is in the early stages of planning to convert, and ultimately operate, 25 double rooms to be used as overnight accomodation linked to events held at Wentworth - especially with the regeneration of the stable block which includes the riding school being converted into a large conference and events space capable of holding 600+ wedding guests.

The crowning glory would be at the end of the wing, where WWPT would lease the space to the Landmark Trust providing an addition income stream.

The Landmark Trust explains: "We hope to create a Landmark for two in the South Tower of the East Front. Around 1770, the upper chamber of the South Tower was adopted by Mary, 1st Marchioness of Rockingham, as her parlour. She had it decorated with fine plasterwork and wall plaques on Classical themes, and the scheme is an important survival of feminine taste in the Georgian period. This secluded eyrie in one of England’s most notable houses will, we hope, become a truly elegant place to stay."

Sarah McLeod, CEO of WWPT, recently talked about the financially secure and self-sustaining model for the site. She said: "Whatever we do here we want to make sure that we don't find a group of people in the same position we've been in when we took on Wentworth in a 100 years time. We want the solution to be a permanent solution that economically stacks up.

"We've also had to look at the capacity for change within the building so where there's been interventions in the past, or where historic fabric has been removed, there's a little bit more flexibility there in terms of planning whereas other parts of the house particularly, they simply can't be changed, nor would we want to change them. They are really really significant interiors and we we wouldn't want to change that.

"What we came up with is a mixed use solution which allows for us to have cashflow year round so, if you can imagine, certain parts of the year we're much busier with with visitors, with tourists, but in quieter times of the year, we're much busier with things like corporate clients so the solution will have some residential overnight accommodation, shops, restaurants, bars, big visitor experience.

"The really key part of it is a major event centre which will have a major indoor area and a major outdoor area as well. Areas such as The State Room inside the mansion which have survived relatively intact since they were originally completed offer little opportunity for a change of use they will always remain the historically important heart of Wentworth Woodhouse, but other areas inside the mansion, and across most of the Stables complex, were extensively remodeled during the 20th century and almost all of the original interior fabric has been lost, this provides opportunities for us to reimagine these areas creatively and to explore how they might be used to generate revenues that can help secure the future of the site as a whole."

The son of the Fourth Earl Fitzwilliam, Charles Viscount Milton, used the top floor of the tower as his study in the years leading up to his inheritance of the title in 1833. By the early 1800s that floor is described as Lord Milton’s Study.

It would have been a delightful place to work. It featured elaborate plasterwork in the neoclassical style, much popularised by the Georgian architect and interior designer Robert Adam, and had panoramic views over his family’s land, which stretched as far as his eye could see.

In addition, he could step from his office into the gardens via a private bridge.

The floor below, shown on plans from 1829, was the Credence Room, now thought to have held archives and records he would have needed to consult. The room could only be accessed by a staircase from the curved Quadrant Room on the ground floor.

Bedlam was originally the nickname of the Bethlem Hospital asylum in London. In Georgian and Victorian times young gentlemen of the house slept there, as did visiting bachelor guests and their male servants. The men-only domain switched to women-only when the rooms became the dormitories of the Lady Mabel College of Physical Education from 1950 to 1977.

Wentworth Woodhouse website
Landmark Trust website

Images: WWPT

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News: MBO completed at Rotherham industrial pumps group

An equity buy-out has completed at Rotherham-based Industrial Pumps Group (IPG) Ltd with company Managing Director, Dave Carley, and Sales Director, David Stacey, taking full control of the business for the first time since they completed on a management buyout (MBO) in 2016.

The announcement follows a period of sustained growth and profitability for the company, which continued to perform well throughout the pandemic under the watch of its new owners, adapting its product offering and building its market share through the early adoption of change in practice and procedure.

The ambitious duo initially took over the business from its previous owner in 2016 as part of a management buyout deal facilitated by a £500k investment from UKSE – an organisation which focusses on helping businesses in former steel areas with investments, loans and premises.

Since then, Dave and David have led the team on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate, and have implemented changes which has taken it from a steady local business, to one that is capable of capitalising on growth opportunities. Moving from a reseller of pumps to a business that is an added value designer, servicer and supplier.

They now have framework agreements with a number of the major water companies which shows their importance within the industry and have approached UKSE once again for a further loan to help the company grow further.

With a clear vision for growth, they initially joined the business as trainees in the 1990s. Their agile and ambitious approach has seen the business increase its turnover by £5m, and its headcount by 23.

This would not have been possible without the UKSE investment, which secured the company’s growing presence amongst water utility companies and original equipment manufacturers, while this latest deal enables the duo to acquire 100% of the shares in the business.

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Industrial Pumps Group (IPG) was bought by the duo from its previous owner in 2016, where the pair had worked since trainee level in the 1990s.

The company continued to perform well throughout the pandemic, where the Directors showed a cool business head, pivoting the product offering and build IPG’s market share through the early adoption of change in practice and procedure.

UKSE said this was the right time to let Dave and David take full control in order to have autonomy to realise their ambitions.

Commenting on the equity buy-out deal Managing Director David Carley said the business will continue to grow organically and bring more job creation within the Rotherham area.

He went on to say that thanks to the structure of the 2016 equity investment from UKSE – an organisation which focusses on helping businesses in former steel areas with investments, loans and premises – the management team had now secured a 100% shareholding without incurring costs or penalties.

David said: “We are extremely grateful for the success and growth we have experienced over the past year and especially thankful for Steve and the UKSE team for the support we have received over the years.

“The initial investment helped to facilitate the expansion of Industrial Pumps across our customer base and create new jobs which meant we were able to secure the company’s future here in Rotherham.

“Furthermore, exit discussions were fair and straightforward over two rounds to suit our cashflow, with no penalties.”

“We believe we are a stronger and more valuable company for having worked with UKSE, and we remain committed to our original vision of continuing to grow, and to create further job opportunities in the local area.”

Steve Lyon, Area Manager at UKSE, said: “Working with Industrial Pumps Group has been an absolute pleasure over the last six years. The sustained growth of the business is a testament to the hard work and commitment the Directors have shown, we wish them the best of luck with their future growth ambitions.

“As ever we are delighted to have positively contributed to a business which is creating job opportunities and to have helped a local business retain its strong presence within the region.”

“Despite the team exiting us as an equity partner, they have recently approached us for further loan investment to help them expand further and we have been happy to support them again. As with all of the returns we make from our investments we will seek to invest this money in other local companies.”

Industrial Pumps website
UKSE website

Images: UKSE

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News: Roadhouse gets green light for new Rotherham venue

Craft beer specialist, Roadhouse, has secured planning permission to open in another location in Rotherham. It comes with a number of conditions.

Rothbiz reported in March that an expansion into new premises was already being progressed by the Roadhouse team when it was unexpectantly shut out of its Stag premises by its landlords.

With a premises licence already secured for a former opticians on Laughton Road in Dinnington, connected planning applications were submitted for a change of use and new signage at the empty 1,600 sq ft unit.

The site is located close to the planned £11m regeneration scheme which is focusing on high quality place making to restore the cultural heart of the town centre, increase footfall, boost the local economy, and restore a sense of pride amongst the community.

The Roadhouse application attracted nearly 250 letters of support from regulars at the Stag before its closure and Dinnington locals keen to see a micropub in the town centre and a vacant unit brought back into use.

A representation from the applicant stated: "Roadhouse Bar and Bottles has a proven record of re-connecting local residents with their local shopping area and discouraging the element of the community focused on anti social activities by the re claiming of otherwise vacant land.

"Popular areas offer prospect and refuge. Our bar and bottle shop provides a place that feels secure and brings the wider community together. With a continuous offer of community space, with art displays, live music, art workshops and charity events, the business is more than a bottle shop or bar and has a proven track record of promoting other local businesses and working collaboratively to increase footfall, contributing to the area's improved local economy."

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Rotherham Council has a policy that would normally see pubs and bars discouraged in so-called "Primary Shopping Frontage" areas, however, planners explain: "Whilst the supporting text to the policy notes that drinking establishments are not considered appropriate, micropubs are a relatively new innovation and are much smaller than traditional pubs/bars.... The proposed microbar will be open for much of the daytime period as well, and the applicant has indicated that it would also be used for the retail sale of “high end drinks” to be consumed off the premises.

"Whilst the proposed micropub is not a preferred use for a prime shopping street it is considered that in this instance the proposal will bring back a vacant unit into use helping to contribute to the vitality and viability of the Town Centre providing a day/night time facility for the local community that could encourage linked trips to other uses without being harmful to area.

"Furthermore due to the current vacancies in this location there are retail opportunities for other premises to come back into retail use."

The closest dwelling is located four metres away to the rear of the premises, boundary to boundary, and on the suggestion of environmental health officers, a condition means that the proposed use as a drinking establishment shall only take place indoors. No seats or tables shall be placed outdoors.

The plans were approved withouth going before the council's planning board and includes other conditions around opening hours (10.00-23.15 Monday to Sunday), delivery times and potential noise from music and patrons.

As for the Stag premises, where both Roadhouse Bar & Bottles and neighbours, Rancheros, announced in February that they had closed for the "forseeable future" when a notice of peaceable re-entry by the landlord was on display, a post to social media this week read: "The Roadhouse would love to come back to the Stag. Some things are simply out of our control. We shall continue to try to get back in."

Roadhouse website

Images: Roadhouse

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News: honey progress Maltby housing plans

Proposals for a £46m, 185 new home development in Rotherham are moving ahead following their outline approval.

Rothbiz reported in January that honey had acquired a 39-acre site located on Tickhill Road. Subject to planning, the proposed site, which will be called Jet, will comprise a mix of terraces, semi-detached and detached two-, three-, four-bedroom homes.

Hargreaves Land secured outline planning permission for the scheme which is on land on the site of the former Maltby Colliery. The land was allocated for residential use in the Council's local plan and is close to where Jones Homes are planning to build hundreds of new houses at Grange Lane.

A new vehicular access is proposed directly off Tickhill Road at the southern end of the site. and as part of the development, the current 40 mph speed limit on Tickhill Road will be extended to the east of the site access to improve the level of road safety in the vicinity.

Despite a number of objections, the planners at Rotherham Council concluded that the "scheme put forward satisfies the requirements set out within both national and local planning policies and guidance."

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The planning approval came with a number of conditions, including 25% of the total number of dwellings to be provided on site for affordable housing and hundreds of thousands of pounds for local education and sports provision.

Detailed plans have now been submitted to address other conditions and issues not covered at the outline stage, such as detailing construction traffic management, carrying out an arboricultural assessment and an archeological evaluation.

Planning documents show that the developers want to start construction in November 2024 and complete the scheme in 2029.

Standard features in every honey home will include bi-fold doors, individually designed integrated kitchens, boutique-style bathrooms, and EV charging points. All units will also accommodate the Future Homes Standard, resulting in honey homes producing 75-80% fewer carbon emissions.

Founded in October 2022 by former Avant Homes CEO, Mark Mitchell, honey recently secured a £12.2m loan from OakNorth to support two new housing schemes in Huddersfield, and in Maltby.

Mark Mitchell, Founder & CEO of honey, said: “With the launch of honey just under 18 months ago, I’m delighted my vision of building new homes that deliver a combination of style, substance and sustainability continues to be realised. We’ve seen a constant high demand on all our sites to date and given the high quality of the units and the close proximity to major commercial towns and cities, we expect demand for our new schemes in Maltby and Huddersfield to be no different."

Honey website

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News: "No interest" in Corporation Street mixed use scheme

The private sector has shown little interest in a multimillion pound mixed use regeneration scheme in Rotherham town centre, despite the council securing the site, and funds to pay for demolition and help fill a viability gap.

As a way forward for redevelopment is reviewed, a contractor has been appointed to clear the site on Corporation Street.

The buildings that make up 3-7 Corporation Street have been a long-standing eyesore in Rotherham. The restaurant at no.7 suffered fire damage in 2005 with the nightclub above suffering a similar fate in 2007. The restaurant at no. 3-5 was also fire damaged in July 2011.

Rothbiz reported in October 2023 that, having acquired the properties and secured planning permission for a £6m scheme, Rotherham Council began a tender excercise to appoint a developer for the site.

Tender documents showed that Rotherham Council wanted a developer to deliver, manage and own the development with the contract having a total anticipated value of £4.2m, based on a council contribution plus the anticipated sales value of residential and commercial units outlined in the approved scheme.

The documents added: "The Council is seeking to appoint a developer who will lead, finance, manage delivery, and retain ownership of the scheme. Other than securing and transferring the land to the developer and funding any viability gap that may exist on the development, the Council does not anticipate having any role in the development or the longer-term ownership and management of the site."

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However, council minutes now show that, following the tender exercise, there "was no interest, likely due to the smaller size of the scheme."

Designed by AHR Architects, the proposals show a mixed use building, between two and four storeys in height, comprising 19 1-bed and 2-bed flats and three units totalling 1,238 sq ft of commercial floorspace, plus access, external landscaping and car parking.

Discussions have taken place regarding further options to create a wider package of development in the area, which has been earmarked by the council as an emerging leisure and cultural quarter. Other sites, close to the soon-to-complete Forge Island scheme, include the former bank buildings and the vacant former bingo hall / cinema, which is also owned by the council.

Corporation Street and the Riverside Gardens area is also set to benefit from significant public realm improvements.

For the burnt out buildings site, £3.2m has already been secured through the Town Deal and Levelling Up funds which was intended to be used to acquire the land, clear the site and address the viability gap that exists in the development scheme.

This week, local firm, Demex Ltd, has been confirmed as the contractor leading on the demolition of the burnt out buildings.

The demolition is said to be complex due to vegetation and asbestos and as such will happen in two parts starting with the nightclub and followed by the restaurant.

The £108,000 contract explains that: "It is anticipated that the contract will commence in April 2024 and will run for a period of 12 weeks making the expiry date September 2024 (over 2 phases 8/4 weeks)."

Images: AHR / Google Maps

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News: Small businesses helped to grow

A group of 22 senior leaders from 21 local small and medium-sized businesses are the latest to take part in the government-funded Help to Grow: Management programme at Sheffield Hallam University.

The 12-week course is designed for local business owners and senior leaders who are keen to grow their organisation. It is accredited by the Small Business Charter and 90% subsidised by the government.

The University’s Sheffield Business School has supported the delivery of the course to 180 participants since it launched in September 2021.

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Amy Moore, Project Manager, Prima Industries Ltd. based in Rotherham, said: “I signed up for Help to Grow as I have not previously had any formal management training, and I hope the programme will give me a well-rounded introduction to all the areas the course covers. As part of a growing ecommerce business, I am particularly interested in how we can use digital technology to simplify our processes and improve productivity.”

Professor Conor Moss, Dean of Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting senior leaders from Barnsley and Rotherham SMEs to further develop their ideas, their people and their businesses. We have delivered this leadership programme to over 180 participants across Sheffield and Doncaster so it is great to be able to extend this to reach all areas of South Yorkshire.

“We have seen the impact the Help to Grow: Management course has had on SMEs in building resilience within their businesses and in driving growth.”

Sheffield Hallam University website

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News: Owners consider changing colliery restoration scheme

The reclamation of Maltby Colliery in Rotherham and a scheme that will see the Green Belt returned into woodland and grassland could be revised again.

Owned and operated by Hargreaves Services plc, the 500 acre colliery was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013.

It had been expected to continue coal production until 2025 but the winding tower was brought down in 2014 and the mine shafts have been filled and capped. With the sudden closure, the future restoration scheme, included in the planning permission for the mine's operation, was re-examined and plans were approved in 2017.

The scheme involved cut and fill operations and the importation of 1.32 million tonnes of suitable fill material and 150,000 tonnes of soil making materials.

Estimated to take six years, it was proposed to progressively restore the former colliery tip to beneficial after-uses, including amenity grassland, agriculture, public access and nature conservation enhancement areas, and temporary ancillary and associated activities.

Owners say that due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions the ongoing reclamation scheme is approximately 12 months behind schedule.

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Now new plans are being drawn up, with the main change being to infill the existing lagoon void on the south east part of the tip and plans to quarry for materials before the creation of a platform for employment use on the Northeast part of the pit yard.

Equipment auction company Ritchie Bros. UK completed a purchase of the land and remaining buildings at the heart of the site in 2022. The Canadian firm has been hosting auctions at Maltby since 2019.

Consultation documents show that the new scheme will require the importation of approximately 2 million cubic metres of suitable fill, including soil making materials, to September 2033.

The documents add: "It is proposed to develop a quarry on the north east part of the Pit Yard, south of the Colliery Tip. The quarry proposals provide for the extraction of 3.9 million tonnes of magnesian limestone to supply local markets and those further afield." This area would then be backfilled to create a development platform for beneficial employment use.

"The proposed development will provide up to 35 jobs on-site, additional jobs for those importing fill and exporting mineral by rail and road and spend in the economy including for services from local suppliers."

With approximately 300,000 tonnes per annum of fill, and the export of minerals at 200,000 tonnes per annum, this could generate an average of 128 HGV movements (64 in/64 out) per working day. The existing rail head could also be brought back into use.

Consultants are working on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with an environmental statement set to be submitted to Rotherham Council before a detailed planning application later in 2024.

Hargreaves website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Xeros to raise up to £5.5m

Xeros Technology Group plc, the Rotherham-based creator of technologies that reduce the impact of clothing on the planet, is in the process of raising £5.5m to provide working capital and enable to execute its high profile contracts.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Xeros is a Leeds University spin-out that has created a number of technologies, such as the use of polymer beeds in washing and filters to collect microplastics.

Moving to a to an "IP-rich, capital-light" business model with water saving and filtration technologies with multiple commercial applications, making money has proved tricky following around £150m in investment, with breakeven expected during the second half of this financial year with "addressable global market opportunity of c£40m-£50m pa in revenue terms to Xeros in the medium term."

Confirming the investment, secured from share placing, Xeros said that license agreements were in place with five manufacturers of garment washing/processing machines, three major European manufacturers of components for the machine supply chain and direct commercial discussions with six of the top ten global washing machine manufacturers.

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The Placing and Subscription will raise gross proceeds of £4.5m in aggregate, with up to an additional £1m being raised through the Retail Offer to allow Shareholders to subscribe alongside the Placing.

Net proceeds of the Fundraising will be used to strengthen the Company's balance sheet, enabling execution of current contracts, pursuit of global opportunities and to provide reassurance to contract counterparties, provide working capital as the Company advances commercialisation of its Core Technologies, provide contingency against timing of royalty income and operational cash flow break-even, and, as appropriate, scale operations and accelerate development of other markets and applications for the Company's IP.

Neil Austin, CEO of Xeros, said: "Our technology solutions drive significant cost, energy and water efficiencies for our customers while reducing pollution in both the manufacture and laundering of clothing.

"The fundraise puts the Group in the strongest possible position to execute its commercialisation strategy, which is focused around high-margin licence fees and recurring consumable revenue.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank investors for their continued support at this exciting time for Xeros."

Xeros website

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News: Funding boost for Wentworth Woodhouse regeneration project

A regeneration projct restoring a group of derelict stable buildings at Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham has secured a £528,475 grant from Historic England.

Planning permission was secured in 2022 to convert part of the magnificent stables for use as a production kitchen and another part for a 120 cover café catering for visitors as they arrive and leave the Grade I listed architectural jewel.

The work, which is well underway, is being funded with £4.6m of the Government’s £20m Levelling Up investment in Rotherham.

Dating from the late 18th century, the Grade II listed Mews Court was built as a later addition to the stable block, a vast complex with stabling for 84 horses.

The Mews Court encompasses a courtyard surrounded by buildings originally designed as accommodation for the equestrian staff.

Once repaired, the Mews Court buildings will play an important role in improving Wentworth Woodhouse’s visitor experience, housing a shop, ticket office and toilets. Together with the Stable Block, the buildings will also be the first thing visitors see when they arrive at the stately home, as they sit next to the new car park.

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Giles Proctor from Historic England said: “Bringing the Mews Court back to life is a key part of the restoration of Wentworth Woodhouse, enhancing both its historic character and significance, as well as improving its facilities as a visitor attraction.”

Sarah McLeod, CEO of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust said: “We are extremely grateful to Historic England for its continuing support of our restoration projects.

“This latest grant enables us to carry out the urgent external repairs needed to save Mews Court. Its buildings are in a perilous state.

“Repairs will be completed by this autumn, then we will be fundraising in earnest so we can transform some of the spaces into a shop, ticket office and toilets.”

The grant for the Mew Court repairs is the latest contribution from Historic England towards the restoration of Wentworth Woodhouse. The heritage body has also given grants towards the refurbishment of the recently reopened Camellia House, repairs for the first phase in the regeneration of The Stables, which will create training kitchen facilities and a café space, and repairs to the mansion's roof cornicing.

Events space and accomodation are set to follow at the stables before attention turns to the south wing of the main house. Known as the Bedlam wing, plans are set to inlcude further accomodation,

Wentworth Woodhouse website

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News: South Yorkshire Institute of Technology official launch

The South Yorkshire Institute of Technology has been officially launched, creating a partnership to deliver world-class technical education and training.

Backed by more than £21m in funding from the Department for Education, the establishment of SYIoT in South Yorkshire marks a significant milestone for the region, kite marking the high-quality, higher-level technical education and training provision in the region.

One of only 21 IoTs nationally, the launch marks a major investment and recognition of the region’s higher education providers.

The education partners are DN Colleges Group, Sheffield Hallam University, Barnsley College, The University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre, The Sheffield College and RNN Group.

With the pace of change and emerging technologies, the investment in South Yorkshire will ensure that education providers have access to facilities and equipment that can support them to prepare and develop individuals with skills that meet employer’s needs.

IoTs are partnerships of employers and education providers. SYIoT is supported by core employers of HLM Architects, AESSEAL Plc and Pendo.

SYIoT already works with over 5000 employers in the region but a key focus will be extending the reach, particularly to small and medium sized businesses.

The sector focus for SYIoT are the technical sectors of engineering and manufacturing, digital, construction and the built environment, health, science and media and communications.

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Karen Mosley, Managing Director, HLM Architects and Chair of South Yorkshire Institute of Technology, said: “We are delighted to be launching the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology.

“This partnership between employers and education and training providers focuses on our key sectors and occupations and developing the skills required for higher technical roles across our region.

“As an employer, it is exciting to be partnered with education providers and to be able to help shape provision and delivery in this way.”

Specialising in Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), professional training and higher apprenticeships, the investment in facilities and cutting-edge equipment is focused on widening opportunities in higher education.

The courses and qualifications on offer, including bite-size programmes, enable individuals to access higher education to enable them to enter or re-enter employment, or upskill to support their progression within employment.

SYIoT offers flexible and affordable qualifications to adults of all ages and in 2025 the costs of programmes can be supported by the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement as well as current funding streams.

For employers, alongside funding support for apprenticeships, education partners can advise on any other funding available, including the Skills Bank.

Karen added: “The first learners started on SYIoT programmes this academic year and it will be exciting to see the developments over the next few years,”

“Education and employer partnerships are central to ensuring that South Yorkshire develops the skills base required to meet the challenges of the region by upskilling our people and encouraging investment in higher technical job opportunities.”

RNN website

Images: RNN

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News: Contractor celebrates completion of Rotherham cycle scheme

Esh Construction has completed the first of three key active travel projects in Rotherham that are designed to make it safer and more convenient for pedestrians and cyclists to travel into and around the town centre.

A £3.6m project on Wellgate and Broom Road – on behalf of Rotherham Council – has delivered 1,600 metres of dedicated cycle tracks, along with signal-controlled crossings and associated junction improvements. An online roundabout on a busy commuter route was upgraded, incorporating the new cycle lanes to provide a safer solution for cyclists and those using mobility scooters in accessing the town centre.

Esh’s Divisional Director, Steven Garrigan, said: “This type of project requires extensive logistical planning while working across online travel networks and commuter routes, therefore we are pleased to bring the first of three active travel schemes to completion.

“At Esh, we pride ourselves on building and maintaining strong working relationships with our clients and through our work with Rotherham Council we are building on an extensive portfolio of experience, while supporting the active travel targets outlined by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.”

Funding for the scheme was secured by the Council through the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Active Travel Fund (ATF), Gainshare and the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).

Rothbiz revealed when the scheme was proposed in 2021 that it would reduce the capacity of Clifton roundabout, making queuing longer at busy times. Further work is now being carried out on extending the scheme along Broom Road to the Stag roundabout, and on possible schemes in the adjacent areas.

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Matthew Reynolds, Head of Transportation Infrastructure Service at Rotherham Council, recently updated councillors on the completed scheme. He said: "It looks impressive. From our expectation it is functioning how we want it to do.

"We need to be mindful of the messaging around the scheme. It is a cycle scheme, but actually, what we are seeing here is a much safer use of this roundabout. Before you could go round the roundabout without having to brake - "flythroughs" on a very fast roundabout with people not driving appropriately. The new kerbing makes people slow down, assess and look around the junction, before they make the turns. And that, from what I have seen, has been very good in terms of its compliance and getting people to drive a lot more safely.

"To be honest, it would be good to have few cyclists on there, and we'll get there in time I think, once we build the network, but it is a good piece of infrastructure."

To the west of Wellgate and Broom Road, two further active travel projects being delivered by Esh are nearing completion. Known as Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor, the schemes are expected to be finished later this year, providing Rotherham’s residents with more opportunities to undertake journeys by bus, walking, and cycling in line with the active travel initiative.

The Sheffield Road Cycleways project will connect Sheffield and Rotherham, with over 2km of new cycle routes being introduced on the A6178 Sheffield Road at Templeborough and Westgate between the town centre and the borough boundary at Tinsley. Over time and alongside other investments the route will provide a nearly seamless connection for cycling from beyond Meadowhall through to the Broom area.

It is due to complete in July 2024.

Maltby Bus Corridor will feature 2.8km of new bus lanes and new signalised junctions with pedestrian crossings along the 8-mile route from Rotherham to Maltby. The bus corridor will bypass areas of congestion on the A631 route into the town centre and enable faster and more reliable services, particularly those linking Maltby to Rotherham and onwards to Sheffield city centre, Magna and Meadowhall.

It is due to be completed in April 2024.

Funding for the Sheffield Road Cycleways project and the Maltby Bus Corridor was secured via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority with monies from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Esh Group website

Images: Esh

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News: Plans for fire damaged Rotherham pub updated

Plans have been updated for a new mixed use development in Rotherham town centre that would replace the former Rhinoceros pub that has been wrecked by fire.

Rothbiz reported in 2022 that plans to enable the Bridgegate pub to expand were approved just days after the building suffered a fire attended by several fire crews.

Essex-based Cape Designs Ltd submitted outline plans for the site in 2023 and further information has now been added.

The application shows the same scheme - 22 flats and two retail units surrounding an internal courtyard and would involve the demolition of the whole of the existing building.

The Rhinoceros pub was one of 16 pubs put up for sale by J D Wetherspoons in 2019. Known locally as "Rhinos," the pub operated independently from Wetherspoon but was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The units were in the proccess of being refurbished and the initial intention was for the rear wing of the building to be converted into residential apartments, but two subsequent fires caused considerable damage to the existing building and structure.

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The new proposals would involve a three storey building with a Georgian style frontage to Bridgegate containing two retail units of 800 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft. Access would be between the retail units into a courtyard area and the proposed new large apartment block.

The plans explain: "As far as the front aspect is concerned, we envisaged a Georgian inspired building which are relatively common in the Rotherham town centre. The existing buildings in the immediate area have been built at different times in different styles so there is no uniform style present in the area. The Georgian style has been discussed at length with the Conservation Officer and an agreement in principle was reached."

A heritage impact assessment has now been included with the plans.

The plans state: "The Rhinoceros Pub is not a listed building and would be deemed to have a low degree of significance overall, mostly due to its existence within the Rotherham conservation area. The structure is adjacent to a listed building (31 Bridgegate) however, its development would have a low impact on the significance of the listed building.

"The removal of the existing structure would allow for the space to be reused for retail and residential purposed [sic], where currently it is unusable due to fire damage. The development works overall should be deemed to have a beneficial impact on the setting of the nearby designated assets and the conservation area."

Images: Archaeological Research Services Ltd / John Box Associates

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News: Additive manufacturing tech start-up expands into new Rotherham base

Innovate enterprise, FORG3D, has expanded already, only a matter of months from taking space on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

The company is spearheading the Green Fourth Industrial Revolution and is on a mission to transform the realm of large-scale metal additive manufacturing by offering the repeatable quality of forgings combined with the benefits of 3D printing.

Through a novel additive manufacturing process, FORG3D can deliver a greener, smarter and faster alternative to castings and forgings for companies in the aerospace, space and defence sectors that are looking to innovate in this area – whether that is to reduce carbon emissions, speed up production, or for something as specific as solving the problem of how to manufacture in space.

After operating remotely from Scotland, founder and CEO Richard Mincher secured office space within the AMP Technology Centre - the operation at the heart of the AMP that offers first class office space, workshop facilities and conferencing / meeting room resources.

Continued growth saw FORG3D move to a recently completed unit on the AMP as it looks to double staff numbers this year.

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Richard Mincher, said: “We’ll be recruiting heavily in the region in 2024. South Yorkshire is the heart of the UK advanced manufacturing sector and access to the rich talent pool that gravitates around this industry was a key attractor for us.

“We also knew that we wanted to be based close to The AMRC and within a community at the forefront of innovation. The other occupiers here all work in the same industry as we do. They are all potential or existing partners, customers or suppliers. It’s the ideal location for us.”

To keep pace with demand and opportunities, FORG3D will be recruiting for a number of highly skilled and experienced engineers, software developers and robotics engineers in 2024. Other priorities in 2024 include exploring emerging markets in the US and launching a new fundraising drive to further scale the business.

FORG3D website

Images: FORG3D

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News: Alma still in line for new music venue project

Commercial property agents working to find a new use for a former cinema building in Rotherham have made changes to the particulars, indicating that it is not part of a council venture to secure a new music venue in the town centre.

Rothbiz reported last month on the Essoldo building on Ship Hill / High Street where letting documents from Eddisons showed that the proposal for "The New Empire Building" is to create "a music venue/bar/food court/co-working development with units of varying sizes."

A large food vendor / food court area is shown on the ground floor, alongside a large bar area that would also extend into the basement.

Two units are shown, a larger one on the first floor and a smaller one on the ground floor by the main entrance.

Now the documents have been updated, removing the statement saying that the project is supported by RiDO (the regeneration arm of Rotherham Council).

Rotherham Council's £30m+ plans to redevelop the markets include adding a new dining area to the first floor of the Indoor Market.

The authority is also involved in assessing the suitability of a number of historic buildings after a scheme to repurpose the former Guest & Chrimes foundry as an National / International music venue fell flat, despite £4.5m of government funding being on the table, when the council was unable to reach an agreement with the landowner, Rotherham United Football Club.

With the Cutlers Arms and Alma Tavern now under Rotherham Council ownership, the possibility of redeveloping the site on Sheffield Road has recently been discussed again.

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Lorna Vertigan, head of regeneration at RiDO, said: "The council own both buildings. The Cutlers already run a successful music business out the back of the venue. The pub are wanting this to continue and not be jeopardised by the residential [development in the adjacent riverside area].

"What we are looking at is to provide something at the rear of both buildings to keep the music scene going.

"We’re looking at a strategy with culture given there is so much interest in music within the town centre, and we need to work out how to pull all this together."

Rothbiz understands that a scheme for the Alma, which is not a listed building (unlike the saved and re-opened Cutler's Arms next door), would involve some demolition with a hope to maintain the front.

Plans were submitted by the fire-damaged pub's previous owners in 2021 to demolish the rear but keep the historic frontage standing.

The Alma Tavern possesses an attractive and valuable façade, probably the last memory of Rotherham’s earliest commercial brewery, Bentleys, but in 2012 a fire in the roof space caused further damage.

Rotherham Council acquired all land and properties owned by Satnam Urban Regeneration Ltd which includes the 200 space Westgate Car Park and the two pubs.

Masterplanning has been undertaken for up to 279 high quality residential units, to include a mix of apartments and houses in the area, known as the Riverside Residential Quarter. Planning permission has recently been secured for public realm work and work to secure the river walls to enable future development.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Liberty to press on with Rotherham plan after signing new creditor framework agreement

Liberty Steel says that it has a comprehensive plan that aims to take its electric arc furnace (EAF) melting capacity at Rotherham to two million tonnes per annum quickly and cost effectively.

The opertator, part of Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance, has confirmed for the first time that the South Yorkshire sites could use hydrogen to power steelmaking in the future. It is part of the company's GREENSTEEL plan which aims to recycle and upcycle the growing amount of scrap steel, using electric arc furnaces powered by renewable energy.

Hit by the collapse of Greensill, a specialist in invoice financing that operated with less regulation than the traditional banks, Liberty put in place a specialist committe to accelerate a restructuring and refinancing project which has seen investment and focus on Aldwarke in Rotherham.

Now Liberty has signed a new framework agreement with its major creditors which will enable it to consolidate its UK steel businesses "under a new entity with a simpler structure, a strong balance sheet and greater access to third party finance and investment."

UK operations have since October 2021 been supported by £210m loss funding by Liberty's shareholder to maintain employment, operations, and growth potential. 2023 included a restructuring programme affecting 440 roles - including 185 roles at its Rotherham sites.

Liberty said in a statement that it aims "to consolidate its steel businesses under a new entity and corporate structure. It is proposed that the existing companies will transfer their assets and employees to the new company, subject to final structuring and agreements. Employees will carry over existing terms and conditions, with continuity of employment preserved. There will be no impact on operations, suppliers or customers."

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The operational restructuring plan implemented focused Liberty’s steel businesses in the UK on supplying strategic aerospace, defence and energy customers, strengthening financial performance significantly. This is said to have improved operational and commercial viability and has enabled development of a comprehensive plan that aims to take EAF melting capacity at Rotherham to 2 million tonnes per annum quickly and cost effectively, and with significantly lower emissions compared with coal-based blast furnaces.

The country’s largest electric arc furnaces in Rotherham and associated downstream mills around the country, "benefit from product diversity with significant capacity in both long and flat products, scalable grid connections, scrap metal processing and proximity to future hydrogen trunkline delivery and planned carbon capture and storage (CCS) networks," the company said.

Jeffrey Kabel, Chief Transformation Officer at Liberty, said: “Following our successful capital raising in 2023 we are now in a position to execute this new updated creditor framework. The completion of the deal will enable our businesses to build on the operational, commercial and governance improvements we’ve made across the group over the past three years.

"In the UK our focus on specialised steel products serving strategic supply chains in aerospace, defence and energy, has allowed us to stabilise operations and significantly improve business performance. Our restructuring agreement now paves the way for a new company structure that will allow us to significantly increase our lower carbon emissions steel production in Rotherham feeding our network of downstream mills around the country.

"While we still operate in challenging market conditions, these changes will put our UK businesses in a position to reclaim its leading position as champion of green steel and sustainable industry. Upon completion of the deal, this will enable us to raise new capital, rebuild stakeholder confidence, and ultimately reach our full potential.

"With our existing strengths in sustainable UK steel and aluminium production, and our magnetite mining resources in Australia to supply the production of DRI, we are prepared to play a leading role in the UK’s Net Zero strategy, and the development of a clean and thriving UK steel sector.”

Liberty Steel website

Images: Liberty Steel

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News: Beer today, gone tomorrow?

A political row is brewing over why proposed new micropubs have not yet been allowed to open in Rotherham, despite strong support from their local communities.

Rothbiz reported last month on plans by the operators of the Roadhouse to take on a former opticians on Laughton Road in Dinnington where an alcohol licence has already been secured.

A decision is yet to be made by Rotherham Council on the change of use application but local ale fans are fearful of plans falling flat. Around 250 representations have already been received, so many that the local planning department have been unable to publish them all online.

The council's environmental health team has already requested that, if plans are approved, then a condition is attached which would mean that the rear yard would not be able to form part of the establishment, as is proposed.

The closest dwelling is located four metres away to the rear of the premises, boundary to boundary, and environmental health officers state that a suggested condition would read: "The proposed use as a drinking establishment shall only take place indoors. No seats or tables shall be placed outdoors."

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A similar story has been encountered in Kiveton, where a planning application has been submitted for a change of use at a vacant cafe that would enable it to be used as a drinking establishment.

Having already secured an alcohol licence, the Kiveton Tap on Wales Road is currently operating as a bottle shop until a decision is made on the plans.

Again, the council's environmental health team has raised concerns over the "potential for nuisance to neighbouring residential premises from the proposed use as a result of noise from raised voices from patrons, background music and fixed plant" and are recommending that conditions be attached to any approval regarding a scheme for sound insulation.

Again the use would be restricted to indoor only given that "noise from vocals is extremely difficult to control especially in drinking establishments where alcohol is served until late evening."

Alexander Stafford, MP for Rother Valley, said: "Dinnington and Kiveton Park, like so many of the towns and villages of Rother Valley, need high quality hospitality and retails [sic] venues to want to invest. The decision made – with complete lack of transparency, scrutiny and democratic accountability – is unacceptable."

In the north of the borough, Beer Haus has recently opened in Wath town centre. Taking over the former Pastures Moo premises, the cafe bar stocks a wide range including imported German lagers, Yorkshire craft beers and exotic international flavours.

The family establishment, which opened in February, also benefits from an ever changing food offer thanks to a number of street food stalls pitching up in the adjacent yard, including Mac In A Box, St Marcino Pizzeria and J's Fried Chicken.

Roadhouse website
Kiveton Tap website
Beer Haus website

Images: Kiveton Tap / Facebook

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News: Engineers of tomorrow gather for massive skills event in Rotherham

5,500 pupils and educators from across the South Yorkshire region were given a unique insight into careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing) at the recent ‘Get up to Speed with STEM’ event, which was held at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham last month.

The annual event, the largest of its kind in the region and now in its 14th year, brought together dozens of businesses, colleges and organisations to showcase the wide variety of different career options that are available to young people in South Yorkshire, as well as letting them get involved in problem solving challenges and interactive activities. Young people were also given the chance to see some of the UK’s most exciting STEM innovations and meet the people who design, build and operate them.

John Barber, CEO of The Work-wise Foundation (organisers of the event), said: “Get up to Speed has been a phenomenal success this year. Every year the event gives young people the chance to get a real-life experience of the world of work from local businesses, whilst being able to speak to apprentices, employees and business owners about the career pathways they could take to lead to a wide variety of roles.

“Every year we receive some great feedback from teachers about how Get up to Speed really does inspire pupils with ideas that shape their future career. We understand that it can be difficult for young people to find out about businesses and careers they may be interested in, so by bringing them all together at Get up to Speed, our aim is to overcome any obstacles and break down barriers to accessing career opportunities.”

Get up to Speed with STEM also gives companies taking part the opportunity to showcase their expertise, highlight career options and current vacancies and meet with other businesses, whilst helping to address the skills gaps across the sectors.

Pupils and teachers had the chance to explore the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) through an immersive 360-degree virtual tour, enabling them to understand how the largest general purpose particle detector experiment in the world works. This unique attraction came about as a result of the National Videogame Museum teaming up with the University of Sheffield and CERN in Switzerland.

Visitors also had the opportunity to try out a wide range of diverse activities from metal casting with United Cast Bar, Water Quality testing with the Canal and River Trust, wall building with Esh Construction to using a heat press for clothing with SBD Apparel and E sports with The British Army.

Three award celebrations took place during the day, including Vulcan to the Sky, AMETEK Land and the High Sheriff’s Building a Better Future Together Challenge. These mini events celebrated the success of pupils that took part in competitions with businesses in the run-up to Get up to Speed.

In addition, Stream 7, a video production company based in Sheffield, created GUTS TV, which ran throughout the day, giving pupils the unique opportunity to get involved with the video production and editing process.

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Get up to Speed started with a Business Breakfast, themed this year around “Health and Wellbeing for Skills and Productivity”, which was opened by the Master Cutler, Charles Turner DL, with keynote speaker Jason Brannan, Deputy Director of the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in Sheffield. Richard Caborn, former Minister for Sport and Civil Society, provided closing remarks.

Master Cutler Charles Turner DL said:”The manufacturing sector in South Yorkshire requires raw materials and the main one is skills. Our region needs 10,000 new recruits into industry in the next 10 years and today’s event is an important part of this journey. We make everything in South Yorkshire from scalpels to fighter jet components, modular reactors to knives that cuts food for the supermarkets and we need young people coming through to fill these roles, across all areas of manufacturing.”

This year’s event sponsors include: Gold Sponsors; AESSEAL, CBE+, Sheffield Forgemasters, Worshipful Company of Ironmongers and Stream 7. Silver Sponsors; Arm, Forged Solutions, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Hydra Creative, Dragonfly PR and Bronze Sponsors; AMETEK Land, Highlander Computing Solutions, AMG Chrome, CPH2, Made in Sheffield and the Canal and River Trust.

Leading Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL sponsored the event for the seventh consecutive year.

A spokespoerson for AESSEAL said: "By sponsoring GUTS, AESSEAL not only demonstrates its commitment to corporate social responsibility but also actively contributes to building a pipeline of talented individuals who will drive technological advancements and shape the future of innovation. The event promotes diversity and inclusion, driving positive changes.

"AESSEAL's goal is to inspire young individuals to grasp the significance of STEM disciplines, ultimately nurturing the engineers of tomorrow."

Since 2010, Get up to Speed, which is championed by employers and organised by The Work-wise Foundation alongside key partners in the private sector, has showcased STEM career opportunities to over 39,000 young people and their families from across the South Yorkshire region and beyond. There were over 70 businesses exhibiting at Get up to Speed, many of them from the South Yorkshire region.

GUTS website

Images: work-wise

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News: Logistics firm enters administration

Carlton Forest 3PL Ltd, a logistics firm with a significant warehouse operation in Rotherham, has gone into administration.

James Lumb and Howard Smith from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators to Carlton Forest 3PL Ltd and Green Forest Solutions LLP on 25 March 2024, and to Carlton Forest Group Holdings Limited on 28 March 2024.

Based in Bawtry, Carlton Forest 3PL Ltd is an award-winning warehousing, distribution and logistics business. Employing 90 people, the company operates over 1.2m sq ft of warehouse space across four sites in Bawtry, Worksop, Tuxhill and at Maltby in Rotherham.

Carlton Forest took on the former Wincanton depot on Rotherham Road in 2020. It had been vacant for over ten years having previously operated as a chilled distribution centre for retailers such as Sainsbury's and Tesco.

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Administrators said that, in common with a number of other companies operating in the third party logistics sector, Carlton Forest 3PL had been battling industry and wider economic headwinds, including rising costs, significant excess warehouse capacity in the market and decreasing storage rates.

With pressure on the company’s cashflow increasing, the directors sought to undertake a review of their options, including sale and investment options. However, when a solvent solution could not be found, they took the difficult decision to seek the appointment of administrators.

James Lumb, managing director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: “We are seeing a lot of businesses in UK logistics which are facing similar issues to Carlton Forest, driven by new warehouse capacity hitting the market over recent years, and the general destocking of the UK consumer economy as Covid-related supply chain disruption has subsided.

“Carlton Forest, like many of its peers in the market, had grown to meet demand and this has had the effect of increasing its overheads. Unfortunately, however, the race to the bottom on pricing and the loss of a key customer ultimately contributed to Carlton Forest’s inability to keep trading.

“Our immediate priority has been to work with employees, suppliers and customers to repatriate stock as quickly as possible, minimising disruption to customers as best we can.”

Images: Google Maps

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