News: Council continues to collaborate with Chantry to help Save The Alma
Rotherham Council says that it is committed to working with the private sector to help keep a project going that would create a live music venue in Rotherham town centre and help save a historic building.
Rothbiz revealed last month that feasibility issues have arisen with converting the former Alma Tavern into a venue.
With £4.5m of the government's Town Deal funding set aside for a music venue project, the Westgate site is the third building looked at by the authority.
The building is not a listed building (unlike The Cutler's Arms next door, saved and reopened by Chantry Brewery) but is in severe disrepair following a fire and years of abandonment. Councillors were told that an updated cost plan for the project demonstrated "a cost significantly in excess of the funding available."
The issue was recently discussed as the council's cabinet agreed to approve the reallocation of funding from the music venue project to progress plans for a community hub for health provision in the former Boots building in the town centre. The funding would cover estimated costs of £1.7m.
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Simon Moss, Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration and Transport at Rotherham Council, explained to councillors: "We think a music venue would be beneficial but it has been problematic. We've looked at a number of buildings since the funding came forward a few years ago and there are challenges with bringing back old buildings into use.
"It has been through a few iterations and has been challenging but we still believe it is a valuable thing to push for in the town centre.
"We are looking at The Alma, which is next to The Cutler's, and there is already a music operation there - relatively small, but successful. We are planning to build some housing around that site, so dealing with that issue is something that we think is worthwhile as well, trying to work with the current operator to protect the continuation of music at that venue.
"The proposal is to downsize some of the proposals at that site. When we've worked through the design process, we don't think it is affordable, so we are looking at still keeping some funding allocated to that project but more around remediating the site, protecting what's there, but actually looking at what we can do to bring forward a music venue through other delivery means."
It is expected that support from the private sector is required if the project is to be realised. The initial ideas involved an L-shaped new building on land behind, and to the side of The Alma, creating a venue with a capacity of 500 - 600 and the main entrance in the vacant pub,
Moss added: "There are challenges that the public sector faces in delivering end-to-end regeneration solutions - we need that confidence and consideration of risk with funds. And the private sector, of course, can sometimes play a different type of role in bringing things forward."
In 2023 Rotherham Council acquired all land and properties owned by Satnam Urban Regeneration Ltd in the Sheffield Road area which included the 200 space Westgate Car Park and the two pubs.
Lorna Vertigan, head of regeneration at RiDO, said: "It's a complex building [The Alma}. It's not in a good condition and what we are trying to bring is also quite a complex build in terms of its power supply and its M&E [mechanical and electrical] requirements etc. and we were just finding that costs at each stage of development were going up and up and up and it just felt like it had come to a point really where "the public sector can't do this on their own" they need private interventions and that is something that we are going to need more and more over time. The nature of the provision also leans it more towards the private sector.
"It is really important to point out that we are still really committed to it [a live music venue] and really do want to support something. They are our buildings so if nothing else, we have got a duty to do something in there. In the next phase, we will still have money allocated to it and we are looking at what remedial works we can bring forward to help the private sector and what a private sector "acquisition / disposal / I don't know yet." might look like.
"We are certainly not turning our back on it but I think we have to draw a line at some point."
The 1907 rebuilding of The Cutler's was part of a general rebuilding in Westgate to provide a broader highway into the town to relieve traffic congestion. The Alma was rebuilt in 1909 and is noteworthy for the use of architectural lettering and the reference to Bentleys Rotherham Ales on the facade.
Chantry Brewery was established in Parkgate in 2012 and reopened The Cutler's in 2014 following a restoration, inside and out. Live music has been a constant at the venue with a temporary outdoor marquee almost always at the rear.
Vertigan described Chantry as "a great asset to the town centre" and added: "We have worked really closely with Chantry Brewery over this last six months to a year or so and I think that one of the primary drivers is, I think, to make sure that they are sustainable in the long term.
"It is a successful and very popular venue so we are thinking of them more as the operator. The original plans that we looked at for The Alma surrounded the back and incorporated both properties. We are still talking to them about what they might like to do.
"I know it is a bit of a dream for them to have The Alma as well and we still want to really help support them."
Chantry Brewery website
Images: Google Maps / RMBC
Rothbiz revealed last month that feasibility issues have arisen with converting the former Alma Tavern into a venue.
With £4.5m of the government's Town Deal funding set aside for a music venue project, the Westgate site is the third building looked at by the authority.
The building is not a listed building (unlike The Cutler's Arms next door, saved and reopened by Chantry Brewery) but is in severe disrepair following a fire and years of abandonment. Councillors were told that an updated cost plan for the project demonstrated "a cost significantly in excess of the funding available."
The issue was recently discussed as the council's cabinet agreed to approve the reallocation of funding from the music venue project to progress plans for a community hub for health provision in the former Boots building in the town centre. The funding would cover estimated costs of £1.7m.
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Simon Moss, Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration and Transport at Rotherham Council, explained to councillors: "We think a music venue would be beneficial but it has been problematic. We've looked at a number of buildings since the funding came forward a few years ago and there are challenges with bringing back old buildings into use.
"It has been through a few iterations and has been challenging but we still believe it is a valuable thing to push for in the town centre.
"We are looking at The Alma, which is next to The Cutler's, and there is already a music operation there - relatively small, but successful. We are planning to build some housing around that site, so dealing with that issue is something that we think is worthwhile as well, trying to work with the current operator to protect the continuation of music at that venue.
"The proposal is to downsize some of the proposals at that site. When we've worked through the design process, we don't think it is affordable, so we are looking at still keeping some funding allocated to that project but more around remediating the site, protecting what's there, but actually looking at what we can do to bring forward a music venue through other delivery means."
It is expected that support from the private sector is required if the project is to be realised. The initial ideas involved an L-shaped new building on land behind, and to the side of The Alma, creating a venue with a capacity of 500 - 600 and the main entrance in the vacant pub,
Moss added: "There are challenges that the public sector faces in delivering end-to-end regeneration solutions - we need that confidence and consideration of risk with funds. And the private sector, of course, can sometimes play a different type of role in bringing things forward."
In 2023 Rotherham Council acquired all land and properties owned by Satnam Urban Regeneration Ltd in the Sheffield Road area which included the 200 space Westgate Car Park and the two pubs.
"It is really important to point out that we are still really committed to it [a live music venue] and really do want to support something. They are our buildings so if nothing else, we have got a duty to do something in there. In the next phase, we will still have money allocated to it and we are looking at what remedial works we can bring forward to help the private sector and what a private sector "acquisition / disposal / I don't know yet." might look like.
"We are certainly not turning our back on it but I think we have to draw a line at some point."
The 1907 rebuilding of The Cutler's was part of a general rebuilding in Westgate to provide a broader highway into the town to relieve traffic congestion. The Alma was rebuilt in 1909 and is noteworthy for the use of architectural lettering and the reference to Bentleys Rotherham Ales on the facade.
Vertigan described Chantry as "a great asset to the town centre" and added: "We have worked really closely with Chantry Brewery over this last six months to a year or so and I think that one of the primary drivers is, I think, to make sure that they are sustainable in the long term.
"It is a successful and very popular venue so we are thinking of them more as the operator. The original plans that we looked at for The Alma surrounded the back and incorporated both properties. We are still talking to them about what they might like to do.
"I know it is a bit of a dream for them to have The Alma as well and we still want to really help support them."
Chantry Brewery website
Images: Google Maps / RMBC
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