News: Forging ahead: a million more visits in Rotherham town centre
Rotherham town centre has attracted a million more visits since 2024, according to the leader of the council.
Following the opening of Forge Island in summer 2024, Muse reported that footfall across Rotherham town centre during 2024 was 10% higher than the previous year.
Forge Island is the town centre's new landmark leisure destination delivered by Rotherham Council in partnership with Muse. The £47m development includes an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema, a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel as well as food outlets, Heavenly Desserts, Sygnature Dish and Vetro Lounge.
2024 also included the massive homecoming gig for The Reytons which drew a crowd of approximately 20,000 fans to Clifton Park on the edge of the town centre.
With an apparent continued increase in footfall, the council leader has also pointed to the impact of local authority initiatives.
Rothbiz reported last month that free parking in council-run car parks in Rotherham town centre would continue aiming to "support local businesses, boost footfall, and encourage residents to shop locally."
The council's budget also includes over £500,000 to continue to put on a range of events where audiences for town centre events have increased by 13% year-on-year from 2021 to 2025.
In addition, December saw the launch of a dedicated council team designed to make Rotherham’s high streets safer and more welcoming. The £570,000 investment provides extra eyes and ears on the ground, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting residents, businesses and visitors on the town centre and other towns in the borough.
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Speaking at a recent meeting of the full council, Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "None of these things are separate elements. If you look at the town centre, what people perhaps don't realise, is that over the last two years, footfall in the town centre is up by a million visits - a million more visits over the course of those years.
"That's in part of course because of the regeneration activity that has taken place. That's in part because of the council events. That's in part because we have put the resources in place in to the Street Safe team to make it a better and safer environment."
Revitalising the town centre is a central part of the council's 2025 - 2030 plan, called "Forging Ahead." Long term measures of success include an increase in footfall in the town centre, a decrease in the percentage of vacant units in the town centre and an increase in the proportion of people optimistic about the future of Rotherham town centre.
Although the progress of the plan is monitored, and updates provided to councillors, the data behind these measures has yet to be published.
When data was made public, it showed that yearly footfall figures for Rotherham town centre have been in decline since 2012. From just over 26 million in that year, reducing by ten million to 16 million in 2019, even before the pandemic.
The way footfall is measured varies. Commercial property agents at nearby Parkgate Shopping promote that the popular retail destination attracts eight million visitors per year. Agents for Meadowhall say that the Sheffield shopping centre has 24 million visitors a year.
The authority's efforts to boost footfall are set to continue with new budgets including £304,000 to introduce three new Business Support Officers "to engage with businesses in the town centre areas, helping them to flourish" and a further £666,655 for the Shop Unit Business Grant Project that has been oversubscribed. £60,000 has been allocated for Rotherham Town Centre Markets, which is currently undergoing a revamp as part of a £40m regeneration scheme.
Another regeneration initiative designed to boost footfall is Rotherham Council's role in bringing more housing into the town centre.
Private sector developers and investors have also progressed housing plans with the conversion of a number of buildings. Privately funded regeneration schemes have also taken place in the lesiure sector - another key target for generating footfall. The opening of the Empire Theatre following a £1.8m restoration scheme being a prime example.
Images: RMBC / Muse
Following the opening of Forge Island in summer 2024, Muse reported that footfall across Rotherham town centre during 2024 was 10% higher than the previous year.
Forge Island is the town centre's new landmark leisure destination delivered by Rotherham Council in partnership with Muse. The £47m development includes an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema, a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel as well as food outlets, Heavenly Desserts, Sygnature Dish and Vetro Lounge.
2024 also included the massive homecoming gig for The Reytons which drew a crowd of approximately 20,000 fans to Clifton Park on the edge of the town centre.
With an apparent continued increase in footfall, the council leader has also pointed to the impact of local authority initiatives.
Rothbiz reported last month that free parking in council-run car parks in Rotherham town centre would continue aiming to "support local businesses, boost footfall, and encourage residents to shop locally."
The council's budget also includes over £500,000 to continue to put on a range of events where audiences for town centre events have increased by 13% year-on-year from 2021 to 2025.
In addition, December saw the launch of a dedicated council team designed to make Rotherham’s high streets safer and more welcoming. The £570,000 investment provides extra eyes and ears on the ground, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting residents, businesses and visitors on the town centre and other towns in the borough.
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Speaking at a recent meeting of the full council, Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "None of these things are separate elements. If you look at the town centre, what people perhaps don't realise, is that over the last two years, footfall in the town centre is up by a million visits - a million more visits over the course of those years.
"That's in part of course because of the regeneration activity that has taken place. That's in part because of the council events. That's in part because we have put the resources in place in to the Street Safe team to make it a better and safer environment."
Revitalising the town centre is a central part of the council's 2025 - 2030 plan, called "Forging Ahead." Long term measures of success include an increase in footfall in the town centre, a decrease in the percentage of vacant units in the town centre and an increase in the proportion of people optimistic about the future of Rotherham town centre.
Although the progress of the plan is monitored, and updates provided to councillors, the data behind these measures has yet to be published.
When data was made public, it showed that yearly footfall figures for Rotherham town centre have been in decline since 2012. From just over 26 million in that year, reducing by ten million to 16 million in 2019, even before the pandemic.
The way footfall is measured varies. Commercial property agents at nearby Parkgate Shopping promote that the popular retail destination attracts eight million visitors per year. Agents for Meadowhall say that the Sheffield shopping centre has 24 million visitors a year.
Another regeneration initiative designed to boost footfall is Rotherham Council's role in bringing more housing into the town centre.
Private sector developers and investors have also progressed housing plans with the conversion of a number of buildings. Privately funded regeneration schemes have also taken place in the lesiure sector - another key target for generating footfall. The opening of the Empire Theatre following a £1.8m restoration scheme being a prime example.
Images: RMBC / Muse
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