News: The challenge of restoring pride in Rotherham with £20m
A £20m regeneration fund has been welcomed in central Rotherham but the leader of the council admits that it will be a challenge to spend it so that each resident feels the benefit.
Rothbiz reported earlier this month on the regeneration plan being developed for the government's Pride in Place Programme.
Previously called the Long-Term Plan for Towns and then renamed as Plan for Neighbourhoods, £20m is for the next ten years for the central Rotherham area where interventions in line for funding will need to come under the themes of: regeneration, high streets and heritage; health and wellbeing; education and opportunity; cohesion, safety and security; or work, productivity and skills.
The plan has been shaped through extensive consultation with residents and stakeholders and will be delivered in partnership with a newly formed Neighbourhood Board, which includes representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as South Yorkshire Police, local councillors and Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham.
The first period of delivery is expected to begin in April 2026, with further investment plans to follow in 2030 and 2033.
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Cllr. John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: “This is welcome investment in communities that have gone without for too long. And while it will certainly not fix all the challenges faced by our residents it will help us create safer, healthier, and stronger communities where we hope people will feel proud to live and work.
“We’ve listened to residents and built a plan that reflects their priorities. Over the coming months, we will be able to set out plans in more detail to ensure we are getting the best value from this funding.”
The vision statement for the Pride in Place regeneration plan states that regeneration will bring back purpose to cherished buildings, create safe and welcoming public space and breathe new life into the town centre. It adds that: "The success of Rotherham’s plan will be felt by the Rotherham community who will feel empowered to participate, and recognise a growing sense of belonging and pride, as they come together more to celebrate where they live."
Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council said: "We've managed to end up with a fund, that whilst it is welcome, is on its third name before we've managed to spend any of it - which I think is unprecedented. It is absolutely welcome funding, it was welcome funding under the last government and it is welcome funding under this government. The long term nature of it is particularly welcomed as a sustainable fund over the course of the decade.
"It is worth refelecting that it is largely capital funding, funding for "stuff" - goods, items and buildings, rather than people's wages and the provision of services. And inevitably, given the geography of the area, that means that something doesn't get built in every one of those places. It would be a very small thing that would be built in each of those places.
"We need to look at that geography as a whole in order to be making decisions alongside the neighbourhood board about where it should be spent. We are particularly keen to be working with those communities on their priorities around its spend to ensure that we are getting the most sustainable benefit for improving lives of people in the central Rotherham area. That does meen that it is a complicated scheme to administer. It isn't the same as getting a chunk of funding to build, for example, some provision at one of our country parks in the way that we are currently delivering.
"It really is good that it is sustainable over a period of time and not just a one off but it will be more of a challenge given the geography and the scale of the area covered to be able to produce an impact that each resident will feel directly in a way that we would want them too. It is a big, and quite difficult, piece of work to administer, this particular fund, for the benefit of residents in the central Rotherham area."
Images: RMBC / Don Catchment River Trust
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Rothbiz reported earlier this month on the regeneration plan being developed for the government's Pride in Place Programme.
Previously called the Long-Term Plan for Towns and then renamed as Plan for Neighbourhoods, £20m is for the next ten years for the central Rotherham area where interventions in line for funding will need to come under the themes of: regeneration, high streets and heritage; health and wellbeing; education and opportunity; cohesion, safety and security; or work, productivity and skills.
The plan has been shaped through extensive consultation with residents and stakeholders and will be delivered in partnership with a newly formed Neighbourhood Board, which includes representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as South Yorkshire Police, local councillors and Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham.
The first period of delivery is expected to begin in April 2026, with further investment plans to follow in 2030 and 2033.
Advertisement
Cllr. John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: “This is welcome investment in communities that have gone without for too long. And while it will certainly not fix all the challenges faced by our residents it will help us create safer, healthier, and stronger communities where we hope people will feel proud to live and work.
“We’ve listened to residents and built a plan that reflects their priorities. Over the coming months, we will be able to set out plans in more detail to ensure we are getting the best value from this funding.”
The vision statement for the Pride in Place regeneration plan states that regeneration will bring back purpose to cherished buildings, create safe and welcoming public space and breathe new life into the town centre. It adds that: "The success of Rotherham’s plan will be felt by the Rotherham community who will feel empowered to participate, and recognise a growing sense of belonging and pride, as they come together more to celebrate where they live."
"It is worth refelecting that it is largely capital funding, funding for "stuff" - goods, items and buildings, rather than people's wages and the provision of services. And inevitably, given the geography of the area, that means that something doesn't get built in every one of those places. It would be a very small thing that would be built in each of those places.
"We need to look at that geography as a whole in order to be making decisions alongside the neighbourhood board about where it should be spent. We are particularly keen to be working with those communities on their priorities around its spend to ensure that we are getting the most sustainable benefit for improving lives of people in the central Rotherham area. That does meen that it is a complicated scheme to administer. It isn't the same as getting a chunk of funding to build, for example, some provision at one of our country parks in the way that we are currently delivering.
"It really is good that it is sustainable over a period of time and not just a one off but it will be more of a challenge given the geography and the scale of the area covered to be able to produce an impact that each resident will feel directly in a way that we would want them too. It is a big, and quite difficult, piece of work to administer, this particular fund, for the benefit of residents in the central Rotherham area."
Images: RMBC / Don Catchment River Trust
