News: Council hopes new advisers will help boost Rotherham's high streets
A new team of advisers has been deployed on Rotherham’s high streets in a bid to give local businesses more hands on support and help town centres thrive.
Rotherham Council's three advisers are acting as a familiar face for traders, working with them on a range of issues from street safety and cleanliness to promotion, footfall and access to grants.
Rather than focusing on a single issue, the advisers will have oversight of what is happening in each area, coordinating activity around events, crime prevention and wider business support.
Providing a local presence, identifying issues of concern, and signposting to other council services for assistance, they provide visible and routine engagement and are becoming known faces to businesses and local ward members, providing regular updates on activity and working to solve problems as they arise. The advisers are providing initial business advice, helping to co-ordinate local promotions, signposting to other grant opportunities and co-ordinating with other council departments.
The advisers are also playing a key role in delivering the popular Shopfront Grants scheme, which has secured a further year of funding for 2026/27 through the Local Growth Fund, worth around £600,000. The oversubscribed scheme has already helped around 50 businesses improve the appearance of their premises.
In addition, the team will work with ward councillors, residents and traders to decide how £25,000 activity budgets in each area are spent, ensuring local priorities shape the projects on the ground. This could include marketing campaigns, seasonal events or joint promotions aimed at increasing footfall.
Cllr. John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: "We've made a big investment to create and establish a new High Street Advisor team, and they'll be a single point of contact for our high streets across the borough to provide business support, advice, guidance, help to access grants and financial support. They're going to be a real practical source of help for our high streets in Maltby, Dinnington, Swinton, Wath, and in Rotherham town centre.
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"Our new High Street Advisors will provide support to our traders and to our high street shops and businesses to help tackle those everyday challenges and to provide that business support and help to access the support that's available through the council on a wide range of issues.
"We recognise that our high streets are the real heart of our communities, and this council is committed to supporting our high streets and supporting our centres across the borough."
Rothbiz reported on Rotherham Cuncil's investment in its latest budget as part of a wider push to strengthen Rotherham’s high streets. A £304,000 figure was included in the council's budget for Supporting the High Street along with further cash to continue the authority's Shop Unit Business Grant Project that was oversubscribed.
The latest round of funding has two aspects to enhance the exterior of business premises in eligible High Street locations - one for existing businesses and one to help bring empty units back into use.
Existing businesses have been applying for up to £10,000 for their projects, with entrepreneurs funding anything above this level. This can be for things like exterior re-painting, new windows, doors and shop frontage, improved access and new signage.
Priority sites are: Rotherham town centre; Parkgate / Rawmarsh (From the bottom of Rawmarsh Hill and not the retail parks); Dinnington; Maltby; Swinton; Thurcroft; Wath; and Dalton.
Rotherham Council said that applications outside of these areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis but priority will be given to the areas.
Empty Shops will have priority, then external works, then internal works to the fabric of the building.
RiDO website
Images: Armitage Sorby
Rotherham Council's three advisers are acting as a familiar face for traders, working with them on a range of issues from street safety and cleanliness to promotion, footfall and access to grants.
Rather than focusing on a single issue, the advisers will have oversight of what is happening in each area, coordinating activity around events, crime prevention and wider business support.
Providing a local presence, identifying issues of concern, and signposting to other council services for assistance, they provide visible and routine engagement and are becoming known faces to businesses and local ward members, providing regular updates on activity and working to solve problems as they arise. The advisers are providing initial business advice, helping to co-ordinate local promotions, signposting to other grant opportunities and co-ordinating with other council departments.
The advisers are also playing a key role in delivering the popular Shopfront Grants scheme, which has secured a further year of funding for 2026/27 through the Local Growth Fund, worth around £600,000. The oversubscribed scheme has already helped around 50 businesses improve the appearance of their premises.
In addition, the team will work with ward councillors, residents and traders to decide how £25,000 activity budgets in each area are spent, ensuring local priorities shape the projects on the ground. This could include marketing campaigns, seasonal events or joint promotions aimed at increasing footfall.
Cllr. John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: "We've made a big investment to create and establish a new High Street Advisor team, and they'll be a single point of contact for our high streets across the borough to provide business support, advice, guidance, help to access grants and financial support. They're going to be a real practical source of help for our high streets in Maltby, Dinnington, Swinton, Wath, and in Rotherham town centre.
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"Our new High Street Advisors will provide support to our traders and to our high street shops and businesses to help tackle those everyday challenges and to provide that business support and help to access the support that's available through the council on a wide range of issues.
"We recognise that our high streets are the real heart of our communities, and this council is committed to supporting our high streets and supporting our centres across the borough."
Rothbiz reported on Rotherham Cuncil's investment in its latest budget as part of a wider push to strengthen Rotherham’s high streets. A £304,000 figure was included in the council's budget for Supporting the High Street along with further cash to continue the authority's Shop Unit Business Grant Project that was oversubscribed.
The latest round of funding has two aspects to enhance the exterior of business premises in eligible High Street locations - one for existing businesses and one to help bring empty units back into use.
Existing businesses have been applying for up to £10,000 for their projects, with entrepreneurs funding anything above this level. This can be for things like exterior re-painting, new windows, doors and shop frontage, improved access and new signage.
Priority sites are: Rotherham town centre; Parkgate / Rawmarsh (From the bottom of Rawmarsh Hill and not the retail parks); Dinnington; Maltby; Swinton; Thurcroft; Wath; and Dalton.
Rotherham Council said that applications outside of these areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis but priority will be given to the areas.
Empty Shops will have priority, then external works, then internal works to the fabric of the building.
RiDO website
Images: Armitage Sorby
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