News: Private sector developer brought in for next phase of Rotherham town centre housing
Rotherham Council is appointing a private sector developer for the next phase of large scale house-building in the town centre.
The Rotherham town centre masterplan of 2017 confirmed the need for more housing and leisure uses as a way to develop economic vitality, bringing more life, activity and spending back into the town centre and moving away from the traditional retail market. It also highlighted the need for derelict and long-term vacant sites to be brought into public ownership.
The aim is "to bring forward new development, diversify the town centre offer and establish a new residential community" with the latest plans leading "to the development of a pipeline of detailed and deliverable schemes which align with market demand and secure the Council’s ambitions for high quality, legacy developments."
Having acquired a number of strategic sites, the authority has been assessing ways to progress the regeneration projects.
When the Council acquired the warehouse and yard on Sheffield Road that is currently home to SIG Roofing Rotherham, Rothbiz reported on efforts to complete the development of plans to RIBA Stage 1 (the preparation and brief stage) for the next phase of major housing in the town centre.
Now a decision has been made to appoint a preferred developer using a closed tender process.
The company securing the contract has not yet been named, neither have the key sites, the quantum of development or total value, but the tender for feasibility works is valued at £397,442.
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A council update reads: "The Strategic Sites programme aims to bring forward high-quality mixed-use development across the Council’s strategic town centre sites, creating a new community supported by integrated services, leisure uses and commercial opportunities. Its objectives include securing a long term positive legacy for the town centre, accelerating progress on complex brownfield sites, attracting credible private sector partners, and addressing viability challenges in a low value market through targeted public sector intervention.
"The Council has made significant progress in acquiring, demolishing and preparing a portfolio of stalled, underused and derelict brownfield sites for redevelopment. The intention is to create new communities that increase activity in the town centre and support its long term sustainability through additional housing, improved public realm, enhanced leisure opportunities and new commercial space delivered through public and private investment.
"To achieve the Council’s aims and establish clear viability and deliverability from the outset, an experienced private sector developer is required to prepare Strategic Regeneration Plans for each core site, with potential to progress into delivery subject to defined gateways.
"The Council has completed a compliant closed tender process following approval under the Sub Scheme of Delegation to allocate the required funding. The tender evaluation has identified the preferred contractor, and awarding the contract is now necessary to enable the works to proceed."
Rothbiz reported in 2024 on the potential sites and funding for redevelopment. Council-owned sites include the cleared site of burnt out buildings on Corporation Street, sites on Sheffield Road for Riverside Residential Quarter Phase 2, the site of the former magistrates court at The Statutes and the site of the former Primark on High Street.
Last week the Government announced a £2.3bn City Investment Fund that will bring together different types of finance, deployed flexibly to accelerate projects, expand city-centre housing and office markets, and support major regeneration schemes across the North. Documents show that it is expected to be used in "developing projects in the Don Valley Corridor, Sheffield city centre Innovation Spine, and Rotherham Town Centre."
The Council's most recent major housing development was the £30m+ "Trilogy Collection" - Westgate Riverside, Wellgate Place and Millfold Rise - that has seen 171 new homes built in partnership with Willmott Dixon. However, a previous tender exercise for the £6m scheme on Corporation Street received no interest, likely due to the smaller size of the scheme.
Images: RMBC / AHR
The Rotherham town centre masterplan of 2017 confirmed the need for more housing and leisure uses as a way to develop economic vitality, bringing more life, activity and spending back into the town centre and moving away from the traditional retail market. It also highlighted the need for derelict and long-term vacant sites to be brought into public ownership.
The aim is "to bring forward new development, diversify the town centre offer and establish a new residential community" with the latest plans leading "to the development of a pipeline of detailed and deliverable schemes which align with market demand and secure the Council’s ambitions for high quality, legacy developments."
Having acquired a number of strategic sites, the authority has been assessing ways to progress the regeneration projects.
When the Council acquired the warehouse and yard on Sheffield Road that is currently home to SIG Roofing Rotherham, Rothbiz reported on efforts to complete the development of plans to RIBA Stage 1 (the preparation and brief stage) for the next phase of major housing in the town centre.
Now a decision has been made to appoint a preferred developer using a closed tender process.
The company securing the contract has not yet been named, neither have the key sites, the quantum of development or total value, but the tender for feasibility works is valued at £397,442.
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A council update reads: "The Strategic Sites programme aims to bring forward high-quality mixed-use development across the Council’s strategic town centre sites, creating a new community supported by integrated services, leisure uses and commercial opportunities. Its objectives include securing a long term positive legacy for the town centre, accelerating progress on complex brownfield sites, attracting credible private sector partners, and addressing viability challenges in a low value market through targeted public sector intervention.
"The Council has made significant progress in acquiring, demolishing and preparing a portfolio of stalled, underused and derelict brownfield sites for redevelopment. The intention is to create new communities that increase activity in the town centre and support its long term sustainability through additional housing, improved public realm, enhanced leisure opportunities and new commercial space delivered through public and private investment.
"To achieve the Council’s aims and establish clear viability and deliverability from the outset, an experienced private sector developer is required to prepare Strategic Regeneration Plans for each core site, with potential to progress into delivery subject to defined gateways.
"The Council has completed a compliant closed tender process following approval under the Sub Scheme of Delegation to allocate the required funding. The tender evaluation has identified the preferred contractor, and awarding the contract is now necessary to enable the works to proceed."
Last week the Government announced a £2.3bn City Investment Fund that will bring together different types of finance, deployed flexibly to accelerate projects, expand city-centre housing and office markets, and support major regeneration schemes across the North. Documents show that it is expected to be used in "developing projects in the Don Valley Corridor, Sheffield city centre Innovation Spine, and Rotherham Town Centre."
The Council's most recent major housing development was the £30m+ "Trilogy Collection" - Westgate Riverside, Wellgate Place and Millfold Rise - that has seen 171 new homes built in partnership with Willmott Dixon. However, a previous tender exercise for the £6m scheme on Corporation Street received no interest, likely due to the smaller size of the scheme.
Images: RMBC / AHR
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