Rotherham Council is set to acquire further property in the town centre - in the area designated for the new Leisure and Cultural Quarter.
With the council leading on the £47m development of Forge Island as a vital catalyst project for the town centre, the authority has been snapping up properties in the Corporation Street area.
The Rotherham Town Investment Plan of 2021 picked out "a cluster of underused buildings which will provide leisure and residential uses on a smaller scale catering for independent providers and contributing to a 24-hour presence in the town centre."
Acquisitions include the Riverside Precinct, the former Mecca Bingo building, the building vacated by Wilko, and the burnt-out buildings on the opposite side of Corporation Street. All but the grade II listed Mecca building have been demolished.
Now, with work underway on the new Riverside Gardens and street scene improvements, the council has published a decision approving the acquisition of property interests at Corporation Street.
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The properties have not been named but minutes from Rotherham's Town Deal board from 2025 show that the council had an offer accepted on the Ring Shop and make reference to 22 Corporation Street.
Rothbiz reported in 2023 that The Ring Shop on Corporation Street, also known as Smith Brothers, was closing after 127 years at the centre of Rotherham.
The council's negotiations to acquire The Ring Shop property at 26 - 28 Corporation Street were slowed by it going through probate due to the sad death of the owner, Anthony Swann in 2022.
Vacant buildings on Corporation Street have long been a target for investment after Rotherham was named on the list of successful "town deals" which saw £31.6m from the Government used to revamp areas of Rotherham town centre as well as Templeborough and Eastwood.
The vacant bank buildings stick out whilst the improvements go on around them. Rotherham Council acquired Lloyds at 32-34 Corporation Street back in 2006 under previous regeneration plans and in the case of the former NatWest Bank next door, private sector owners have not brought forward a suitable scheme and turned down a bid from the council to buy the building.
The Council had hoped the private sector owner would lead on the scheme and was prepared to sell the former Lloyds bank for just £1 in 2022.
A council report states: "The preferred option is to acquire all properties by agreement.
"Consideration has been given to entering into partnership arrangements with landowners rather than taking full control of the land. In progressing negotiations this approach will be considered on a project-by-project basis, however in many cases, and as understood through early consultation, landowners do not always wish to bring forward schemes fitting with masterplan ambitions, or development is not in the core business of the landowners.
"Do nothing is not a recommended option, considering the Council’s ambitious plans for economic growth and regeneration in the Borough.
"Acquisition of each property could be brought forward on an individual basis, however, considering the quantity of land and property for acquisition and the timeframe it is considered that seeking approvals on a site-by-site basis would introduce a significant risk to the programme, in terms of readiness for timely acquisitions and delivery of the programme."
The cost of acquiring the properties has not been disclosed.
Images: Google Maps / RMBC
With the council leading on the £47m development of Forge Island as a vital catalyst project for the town centre, the authority has been snapping up properties in the Corporation Street area.
The Rotherham Town Investment Plan of 2021 picked out "a cluster of underused buildings which will provide leisure and residential uses on a smaller scale catering for independent providers and contributing to a 24-hour presence in the town centre."
Acquisitions include the Riverside Precinct, the former Mecca Bingo building, the building vacated by Wilko, and the burnt-out buildings on the opposite side of Corporation Street. All but the grade II listed Mecca building have been demolished.
Now, with work underway on the new Riverside Gardens and street scene improvements, the council has published a decision approving the acquisition of property interests at Corporation Street.
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The properties have not been named but minutes from Rotherham's Town Deal board from 2025 show that the council had an offer accepted on the Ring Shop and make reference to 22 Corporation Street.
Rothbiz reported in 2023 that The Ring Shop on Corporation Street, also known as Smith Brothers, was closing after 127 years at the centre of Rotherham.
The council's negotiations to acquire The Ring Shop property at 26 - 28 Corporation Street were slowed by it going through probate due to the sad death of the owner, Anthony Swann in 2022.
Vacant buildings on Corporation Street have long been a target for investment after Rotherham was named on the list of successful "town deals" which saw £31.6m from the Government used to revamp areas of Rotherham town centre as well as Templeborough and Eastwood.
The vacant bank buildings stick out whilst the improvements go on around them. Rotherham Council acquired Lloyds at 32-34 Corporation Street back in 2006 under previous regeneration plans and in the case of the former NatWest Bank next door, private sector owners have not brought forward a suitable scheme and turned down a bid from the council to buy the building.
A council report states: "The preferred option is to acquire all properties by agreement.
"Consideration has been given to entering into partnership arrangements with landowners rather than taking full control of the land. In progressing negotiations this approach will be considered on a project-by-project basis, however in many cases, and as understood through early consultation, landowners do not always wish to bring forward schemes fitting with masterplan ambitions, or development is not in the core business of the landowners.
"Do nothing is not a recommended option, considering the Council’s ambitious plans for economic growth and regeneration in the Borough.
"Acquisition of each property could be brought forward on an individual basis, however, considering the quantity of land and property for acquisition and the timeframe it is considered that seeking approvals on a site-by-site basis would introduce a significant risk to the programme, in terms of readiness for timely acquisitions and delivery of the programme."
The cost of acquiring the properties has not been disclosed.
Images: Google Maps / RMBC
Is it not beyond the council to send a bloke or two up in a ‘cherry picker’ to remove the vegetation growing out of the old buildings…?
ReplyDeleteIt's the most attractive thing about them
ReplyDeleteDoubt council could justify paying for a cherry picker and operatives ,and road closures,just to remove a bit of vegetation, especially on a building they don't actually own yet.
ReplyDeleteThey should long ago have warned the owners of the overgrown buildings to remove the jungle area or be billed for it being done by the council.
ReplyDeleteThe town has a bad reputation and this MESS doesn’t help. The cost relative to further damage to the town’s reputation and image is minuscule!
ReplyDeleteCouncil can’t justify paying for this but CAN justify WASTING tens of thousands of pounds on the ludicrous paving works it is obsessed with (such as that in Corporation Street at the moment?).
ReplyDeleteWhy ludicrous prithee?
ReplyDeleteJust let Amazon replace the town centre with a massive warehouse. Gets rid of the all the issues everyone moans about, brings money and employment into Rotherham and doesn't use up green belt land. Rotherham Town Centre is a lost cause, stop throwing tax payers money at it.
ReplyDeleteI actually despair at what Rotherham's public have allowed RMBC to get away with, from total mismanagement of the town centre to covering up Pakistani grooming, the public sit by and allow them of the hook, were a laughing stock of a town, locally, Nationally and indeed worldwide Thank you idiots who continue to vote these parasites in!
ReplyDeleteYou should go for a lie down.
DeleteAgree with this, I didn’t & will not vote for this shower. The cover up party. I’d love to support the town centre but there’s nothing left it’s too far gone.
DeleteWhich shower will you vote for then?
DeleteHow have the council miss managed the town centre?
ReplyDeleteIs that a joke?
DeleteAnonymousApril 14, 2026 at 1:24 PM
ReplyDeleteNone of your business
Posting rubbish like that indicates a Reform voter.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing you're a Labour voter who is now considering voting Green?
DeleteOnly an in denial lacking in brain cells labour voter would post a reply like that
DeleteOh how you must yearn for thr heady days of fascism
ReplyDeleteI assume that's aimed at the Leftie?
DeleteGot a Union flag draped from your bedroom window?
ReplyDeleteYes why ?
DeleteAnd 18 tattooed on your forehead?
DeleteAnonymousApril 17, 2026 at 5:05 PM
ReplyDeleteGrow up