News: £6.5m for Rotherham regeneration
Over £6m has been approved to continue regeneration schemes in Rotherham.
Approving its budget for 2025/25, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has agreed to distribute further "gainshare" funding to each local authority. Gainshare funding refers to the money committed to South Yorkshire through the Devolution Deal agreed by the MCA, South Yorkshire local authorities and government.
Gainshare funding has previously been used to "top up" externally funded regeneration projects in Rotherham where budgets have increased.
To advance schemes included in the borough's Place Investment Plan, Rotherham is set to receive a total of £4.49m - £1.8m revenue and £2.7m in capital funding.
Rothbiz reported on Rotherham's place-based investment strategy back in 2023 which set out priorities for using funding across the borough up to 2025 and beyond.
Looking beyond buildings and infrastructure to the needs and assets of its community, the strategic objectives included supporting and diversifying Rotherham’s town centre offer to increase footfall and create a resilient and economically secure place. Other objectives focus on manufacturing, culture, housing, transport, skills and inclusive growth.
Building on Forge Island and the markets, the plan includes indicative investments such as the £27m cultural quarter around Corporation Street and the £12m of investment into new housing along the riverside.
Going beyond 2025, a new theatre is included in the strategy with an investment figure of c.£28m.
Rotherham Council has also committed a further £2m in its latest budget for "strategic aquisitions," following on from a previous allocation of £3m.
Rothbiz reported last year on the authority setting up a £600,000 "Feasability Fund" to progress planning and feasibility for a programme of interventions based on the next potential regeneration sites in Rotherham town centre. These include the riverside on Sheffield Road, Bailey House, The Statutes, the former Mecca Bingo and other sites on Corporation Street.
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Budget documents explain: "Over the last three years the Council has used a combination of its own capital and Government grant to facilitate the acquisition of buildings in the town centre, many of which have been demolished or prepared for redevelopment. Public sector control of property along Corporation Street, the former Boots building and land fronting the river has all been enabled by the Council’s interventions.
"Another allocation to a Strategic Acquisition Fund will allow the Council to respond to opportunity acquisitions as and when strategic sites are presented to market by willing sellers. The fund being provided by the Council, as opposed to a central funding body, gives additional flexibility and allows the Council to move at pace when the opportunity to acquire is presented."
Asked about the £2m allocation at a recent meeting, Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, explained: "It is not ringfenced specifically for the town cente, although over the last few years we have predominantly spent it in there, and that is because we need to buy land and property in the town centre in order to facilitate the regeneration programme that we are committed to.
"If you look at the council plan consultation that is coming forward, where it had something like 2,000 repsonses, their top wish for the future of Rotherham is town centre regeneration.
"We have set our stall out for wanting to improve the centre of the borough. We are delivering on the committments that we have made about that. I don't think any of us thinks that the town centre is the thriving place that we would like it to be.
"We own relatively little property in the town centre. It is one of the reasons why Rotherham has been slower to be able to improve over the course of the last few years, and we think it is reasonable to continue to approve a certain amount of money each year to facilitate that."
Images: Google Maps
Approving its budget for 2025/25, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has agreed to distribute further "gainshare" funding to each local authority. Gainshare funding refers to the money committed to South Yorkshire through the Devolution Deal agreed by the MCA, South Yorkshire local authorities and government.
Gainshare funding has previously been used to "top up" externally funded regeneration projects in Rotherham where budgets have increased.
To advance schemes included in the borough's Place Investment Plan, Rotherham is set to receive a total of £4.49m - £1.8m revenue and £2.7m in capital funding.
Rothbiz reported on Rotherham's place-based investment strategy back in 2023 which set out priorities for using funding across the borough up to 2025 and beyond.
Looking beyond buildings and infrastructure to the needs and assets of its community, the strategic objectives included supporting and diversifying Rotherham’s town centre offer to increase footfall and create a resilient and economically secure place. Other objectives focus on manufacturing, culture, housing, transport, skills and inclusive growth.
Building on Forge Island and the markets, the plan includes indicative investments such as the £27m cultural quarter around Corporation Street and the £12m of investment into new housing along the riverside.
Going beyond 2025, a new theatre is included in the strategy with an investment figure of c.£28m.
Rotherham Council has also committed a further £2m in its latest budget for "strategic aquisitions," following on from a previous allocation of £3m.
Rothbiz reported last year on the authority setting up a £600,000 "Feasability Fund" to progress planning and feasibility for a programme of interventions based on the next potential regeneration sites in Rotherham town centre. These include the riverside on Sheffield Road, Bailey House, The Statutes, the former Mecca Bingo and other sites on Corporation Street.
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Budget documents explain: "Over the last three years the Council has used a combination of its own capital and Government grant to facilitate the acquisition of buildings in the town centre, many of which have been demolished or prepared for redevelopment. Public sector control of property along Corporation Street, the former Boots building and land fronting the river has all been enabled by the Council’s interventions.
"Another allocation to a Strategic Acquisition Fund will allow the Council to respond to opportunity acquisitions as and when strategic sites are presented to market by willing sellers. The fund being provided by the Council, as opposed to a central funding body, gives additional flexibility and allows the Council to move at pace when the opportunity to acquire is presented."
Asked about the £2m allocation at a recent meeting, Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, explained: "It is not ringfenced specifically for the town cente, although over the last few years we have predominantly spent it in there, and that is because we need to buy land and property in the town centre in order to facilitate the regeneration programme that we are committed to.
"If you look at the council plan consultation that is coming forward, where it had something like 2,000 repsonses, their top wish for the future of Rotherham is town centre regeneration.
"We have set our stall out for wanting to improve the centre of the borough. We are delivering on the committments that we have made about that. I don't think any of us thinks that the town centre is the thriving place that we would like it to be.
"We own relatively little property in the town centre. It is one of the reasons why Rotherham has been slower to be able to improve over the course of the last few years, and we think it is reasonable to continue to approve a certain amount of money each year to facilitate that."
Images: Google Maps
45 comments:
I wonder what the council is planning to buy, leave to rack and ruin and ultimately demolish next? If the council can't look after or maintain the buildings it currently owns, why is it trying to play monopoly with the town centre again?
In my humble view, the council land grab is part of the problem, not the solution.
There are large numbers of vacant commercial properties in the town centre, which will never be fully occupied again as people do not shop as they did years ago. The councils plan to purchase these and demolish for redevelopment makes perfect sense, particularly when the schemes are around housing.
I think the article mentions that the reason for slow progress in the town centre is because it owns so little of it.
Should try and encourage call centres or bring council offices back in to the centre . Increase footfall which will promote growth.
When people claim that their views are humble they rarely are.
Agreed
Disagree
Why?
That's right Master Copperfield.
be better use of funding cleaning up rotherham as a whole, putting steps in place to make the rotherham cleaner/more attractive and safer place to live, work on cleaner mould free housing, cleaner green spaces, make It prouder place to live, rather than invest in a town centre that full of pound shops which will die again when they expand Parkgate.. get roads fixed and reduce cost of public transport tickets get moving again
Are you gru?
Certainly sounds like him
To be fair to the posters on here, none of them are THAT daft.
Oh, I don't know about that!
Why not?
Recent research suggests that increased footfall arising from more people actually living in town centres has a more beneficial impact on commercial activity than increased footfall arising from workers accessing town centre employment. And if you think about it this makes sense. People who only come into town to work, especially if they commute from outlying towns, are likely to spend less before going home than those living there.
I do. He was definitely last in the queue when brains were handed out.
He may have a learning difficulty of course, in which case that would be a little insensitive.
The man himself say's he has above average intelligence (Haha I know!). He doesn't have any learning difficulties, he's just a very arrogant narcissist.
He is by far the most interesting and thought provoking poster on the Millersmad soccer forum. Though in truth that is not saying a deal as most of his fellow contributors are not the sharpest knives in the box.
Maybe a combination of both. People living in town centre would likely be commuting elsewhere to work out of town, so more likely to spend money in the evenings and weekends. Whereas having workers in the town, means there will be more people spending during the week during lunch hour and before/after work.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is actually a mental health condition.
Interesting and thought provoking in the fact that it's astonishing that he's figured out how to use the internet?
And soccer? really?
Yes, but not a learning difficulty.
You must be the guy who he winds up all the time. Perhaps you should try not to bite.
I don’t post on there, I just read it. He winds up more than one on there!
I think I'll steer clear of Millersmad. Sounds as though there's even more intolerance than on here.
I like how he never retaliates to insults
Because he has no self awareness, he doesn’t even know he’s being insulted most of the time.
You seem to know an awful lot about his abilities and awareness
Soul mates
Anyone who reads millersmad on a regular basis will know it too, it’s there for all to see.
Great read is gru. Some of the other MillersMadsters must give spelling and grammar lessons to some of our mob.
This gru seems to be a bit like Marmite. I will check out his posts to see if they are as abysmal as the team and their manager's performances.
Rothbiz doom and gloom merchants should should take a look at Millersmad if they want to know how it's really done! Most posts are incandescent with rage at the Millers' current plight and who can blame them. I've been a season ticket holder at NYS since day one but I can't stomach watching this dross. I nw go to watch the Titans where the effort and passion puts RUFC to shame.
The Titans are having another great season following their promotion last year. Brilliant!
He isn’t called gru on there anymore, he’s now called RU66 because he didn’t know his own login details and had to start a new account, which just about sums him up
You sound like the infamous Grist
There is seething unrest amongst Millers faithful at the apparent lack of effort, commitment or passion from the players or example, strategy or tactics from the whole management team. What I find amazing is that our local newspaper is not reporting this or calling out the manager for his disrespectful manner.
The manager's outrageous knee Jerk reaction to the injury to Dan Gore was reported verbatim in the Advertiser but then someone else was blamed for misinformation. An absolute joke
Can't imagine what that lad's parents must have thought when they read our manager's comments. I'd be amazed if he returns to RUFC when he returns to fitness.
UTM!
They are doing Rotherham proud. Keep it up lads.
Back to back promotions would be a magnificent achievement
The Titans deserve bigger crowds
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