News: Steel production could move from Scunthorpe to Rotherham

An electric arc furnace at a Rotherham steelworks could be used to take on production if a blast furnace in Scunthorpe is mothballed, according to reports in a national newspaper.

With the Official Receiver taking over Speciality Steels UK (SSUK), the government has committed £50m to date to keep the sites in Rotherham and Stocksbridge open.

In August, a judge approved an application from creditors to place SSUK, previously part of Liberty Steel and GFG Alliance, into compulsory liquidation. Teneo Financial Advisory Limited have been brought in as Special Managers whilst a formal sale process takes place.

The move followed on from the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 which was passed quickly to enable the government to step in to save British Steel in Scunthorpe.

The Times understands that a proposal is being discussed within government to merge British Steel with part of Speciality Steel UK (SSUK) as one of several options being considered.

The report states: "The merger option is said to be favoured by Jon Bolton, co-chairman of the government’s Steel Council, which was launched by the government in January. Under this approach, SSUK’s electric arc furnace in Rotherham, which will require significant investment to get back up and running, would be used to feed the downstream operations of British Steel, according to senior industry sources.

"This would allow the two blast furnaces at Scunthorpe to be switched off, reducing losses that are said to be costing taxpayers more than £1 million a day. But it would leave the UK as the only country in the G7 without virgin steelmaking capabilities."

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The Rotherham site includes two electric arc furnaces (EAFs). The first casts at Aldwarke were produced in 1964. The N-Furnace, which was installed in 1993, is the larger of the two EAFs and was mothballed in 2015 at the height of the global steel crisis. Liberty reignited the N-Furnace in 2018 and the 800,000-tonne-a-year capacity furnace turns scrap metal into specialised steels for uses such as vehicle gearboxes or aircraft landing gear.

Liberty developed a "Greensteel" plan that aimed to take EAF melting capacity at Rotherham to 2 million tonnes per annum quickly and cost effectively, and with significantly lower emissions compared with coal-based blast furnaces.

An update from Rotherham MP Sarah Champion confirmed that the administration process is being extended to make sure the best bids are received from potential future owners. Multiple companies are interested with the governmment confident a buyer can be found.

Champion said: "The Government’s intention is still to keep the Rotherham and Stockbridge sites together, but it is not closed to considering alternatives. The Minister [for Industry, Chris McDonald MP] was clear that no option would be accepted unless the Administrator was convinced it led to a secure future for both locations. When I pushed him, the Minister confirmed the strategic importance of Rotherham, not least as it does have capacity to expand - which is very useful as we scale up our demand for British steel.

"I really do understand how stressful this process is for staff and those in the supply chain. All I can say to give reassurance is; the Government has committed £50 million to date to keep the sites open and it is committed to investing the time to finding the right buyer. You have my word that I will keep in close contact with the Government on this to make sure of the best outcome."

Images: Richard Doxsey / SSUK

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News: Apprentices in the driving seat at McLaren

McLaren Automotive is backing the government's £725m package of reforms to the apprenticeship system will help to tackle youth unemployment and drive economic growth.

Opened in 2018 on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) has established itself as a world-leader in lightweight carbon fibre construction for the automotive industry and is where the McLaren carbon lightweight architecture for the McLaren Artura high-performance hybrid supercar is constructed.

It was announced in 2022 that the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre, also on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, would be the new apprenticeship supplier for the next generation of engineers at McLaren.

With state-of-the-art facilities, AMRC Training Centre has trained thousands of apprentices since it opened over ten years ago.

The latest reforms are designed to tackle the sharp decline in apprenticeship starts among young people over the last decade – which have fallen by almost 40% since 2015/16 and shift the focus towards supporting young people into high-quality training and employment.

New flexibilities in the apprenticeship system will see new short courses in cutting-edge areas including AI, engineering and digital skills rolling out from April 2026.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "For too long, success has been measured by how many young people go to university. That narrow view has held back opportunity and created barriers we need to break.

"If you choose an apprenticeship, you should have the same respect and opportunity as everyone else. It’s time to change the way apprenticeships are viewed and to put them on an equal footing with university. This is a defining cause for this government and a key step towards our ambition to get two-thirds of young people in higher-level learning or apprenticeships."

Nick Collins, Chief Executive Officer at McLaren Automotive, added: "Apprenticeships are a critical pipeline for developing the next generation of talent. They provide an immersive pathway for young people to gain practical experience and learn in real world environments.

"At McLaren we recognise the importance of investing in people and skills to create the world’s most extraordinary supercars. We are proud to inspire and equip the next generation to continue this tradition of excellence."

Last year the AMRC Training Centre launched a new composite apprenticeship with McLaren. The first cohort includes an all-female group based at McLaren’s headquarters in Woking, alongside two other learners at the MCTC in Rotherham.

McLaren machining apprentices Charlotte Carrington and Sophie Hulse provide an excellent case study for the AMRC's Journal, as an apprenticeship offered the practical experience they both desired. Every week, they spend three days in the AMRC Training Centre’s state-of-the-art workshops, immersing themselves in complex machining processes and mastering the precise skills required for advanced manufacturing. The remaining days are dedicated to core knowledge development, ensuring they have a deep theoretical understanding to complement their practical skills.

Once a month, the two friends travel to Surrey to visit the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. This allows them to shadow experienced team members, observe projects and integrate into the high-performance culture; seeing firsthand how their training translates to real-world F1 applications.

McLaren Racing have now employed both Charlotte and Sophie after their time at AMRC completing an apprenticeship.

McLaren Automotive website
AMRC Training Centre website

Images: AMRC

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News: Plans approved to convert Rotherham town centre offices

Offices used by a finance firm in Rotherham town centre can be transformed for a new community use, as plans have been approved by Rotherham Council.

Rothbiz reported in October on plans submitted to enable the change of use of the Norton House building from offices (Use Class E) to a place of worship (Use Class F1).

Norton House is a five storey 1960's/70's office building on Mansfield Road home to Norton Finance, a family owned, independent finance company.

The application is from The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Freedom Centre (RCCG FC) which was established in 2006 in Rotherham and has occupied premises in East Dene since 2012.

The plans, drawn up by Baltic Planning and Development, show that the ground floor and first floor would be set out for church services with the second floor and third floor as offices.

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Plans stated: "It can be confirmed that the site will be in use all week round and will be run by both members of staff as well as volunteers. The times of formal worship are anticipated to be attended by an average of 100 adults and 100 children at any one time, with the main worship hall also proposed to be in use at other times for other community/support uses.

"The scheme as applied for represents the viable reuse of an existing office building to a community use in a suitable and sustainable location."

The application was approved without going before the planning committee at Rotherham council and comes with a number of conditions.

The site is allocated for mixed use purposes and council planners concluded that the principle of the change of use is acceptable. With the existing car park provision (34 spaces) and the proximity to the multi-storey car park and public transport facilities, the Council’s Transportation Infrastructure Service have raised no objections.

A Noise Impact Assessment has been submitted in support of the application. Given that the Friday evening evening sermon would include live music, Rotherham Council's Environmental Health team requested conditions to any planning permission, such as restricting operating hours (08:00 until 22:00 Mondays to Sunday), and sound attenuation measures.

RCCG FC website

Images: CPP

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News: KCM Waste Management grow commercial commitment with Millers

Long-term supporters KCM Waste Management has extended its commercial agreement with Rotherham United.

KCM is a family-run waste management company based at the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate nad had seen their name become synonymous with the club since it moved to AESSEAL New York Stadium, where their branding has proudly adorned the North Stand since it opened in 2012.

In addition to that, the company headed up by Phil and Mark Hickling have also pledged their support to the next generation of Millers talent for over a decade, having also laid claim to the front of shirt sponsorship of the academy kit.

The extension of the stand sponsorship deals will run for a further three years while the Academy shirt agreement has once again been penned on a seasonal basis until the end of the 2025/26 campaign. KCM has also added the sponsorship of the South West Corner of AESSEAL New York Stadium to its portfolio of commercial projects which also includes sponsorship of the home dugout and the substitutions made by Matt Hamshaw on a matchday.

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Mark Hitchens, Head of Commercial at Rotherham United, said: “It has and continues to be a pleasure to work with Phil and his staff at KCM Waste Management.

“It has been abundantly clear from the outset of us entering into business with them they are ardent supporters of the football club and, as a result, are always enquiring about new opportunities in which they might be able to offer their backing.

“You only need to look at the myriad of ways in which they are already involved with the Millers, which range from having their logo on the front of our young players’ shirts in the Academy to the association they have with the ‘Kop End’ at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

“They are another company we are immeasurably proud to be shouting about in our Centenary Year and we hope that we continue to enjoy the successful business relationship of today many years into the future.”

Phil Hickling, Managing Director of KCM Waste Management, added: “As a local business whose base is right here in Rotherham, we feel it to be vitally important that we show our support to the football club and we try to give back to the community wherever we can.

“The majority of our fanbase - and plenty of our customers - are lifelong Millers fans and it gives us immense pride to see the KCM branding atop the North Stand at AESSEAL New York Stadium. We hope that the exposure of those same visuals appearing on the South West corner will only amplify the message that we are huge supporters of Rotherham United.

“Whether it be on home matchdays or seeing our U18s in action – either live on pictured on the club website – it is fantastic to see the KCM Waste Management logo so closely connected to the club.

“It feels fitting to have committed to such a substantial business extension in the club’s Centenary Year and we are confident that we will continue to be successful together for many years to come.”

KCM Waste Management website
Rotherham United website

Images: RUFC

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News: South Yorkshire's new £68m growth fund

A £68m funding pot has been allocated to South Yorkshire as part of the Government's attempt to kickstart economic growth by addressing regional disparities in productivity.

The Local Growth Fund is a follow up to the Shared Prosperity Fund, which itself was funding to replace European Union (EU) Structural Funds.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) will be able to use the money for infrastructure investment, business support and skills development.

Previous EU settlements saw South Yorkshire allocated €410m for 2007-2013 and from 2014-2020 this was cut to around €180m. A legal challenge into the government's decision followed.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) three-year fund, running from 2022/23, included an allocation for South Yorkshire of £46.2m, including £7.3m to address functional numeracy skills. A 25/26 allocation was announced earlier this and provided another £22.5m for South Yorkshire. The £68m Local Growth Fund runs for four years from 26/27 to 29/30.

The money can be used flexibly in line with SYMCA's new Local Growth Plan - a ten year plan which aims to grow the business base and labour market through delivering against four missions based around businesses, places, people and the future.

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Under infrastructure investment, the aim is to expand labour market reach and enable agglomeration benefits across functional economic areas. For business support, projects will need to strengthen regional clusters and increase innovation and investment to drive firm-level competitiveness and sectoral growth. Projects relating to skills development will work to provide the human capital aligned to priority sectors and emerging technologies.

A government policy statement explains that the funding is part of a new approach to regional investment with the Local Growth Fund "targeted at mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands with the highest productivity catch‑up and agglomeration potential, as part of a shift in how growth funding is delivered. It moves away from fragmented, short-term competitive pots to a single, flexible, long-term fund. This approach will empower regional leaders to drive local priorities and unlock the potential that exists in places across the UK, including city regions and high-potential sectors.

"For too long, local growth funding has been constrained by inefficiencies: short-termism, duplication, and wasteful competitive bidding. Opportunities for transformative change have been missed. The English Devolution White Paper set out a new vision: consolidating funding, devolving power, and allocating investment in line with locally led plans. By removing unnecessary processes and committing to long-term financial stability, we are enabling regions to plan and deliver this change with confidence.

"By backing the shared priorities agreed in Local Growth Plans, this investment will support small businesses, create jobs, regenerate commercial centres, enable new housing, and better connect communities through integrated transport – delivering the growth needed to fund our essential public services, enable further investment, and raise living standards."

The mayoralty will do well to support Rotherham's growth and replicate it across the region. Recent productivity statistics highlight Rotherham as one of the fastest growing sub-regions over the last two decades.

On the region's local growth plan, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: "Our goal is simple: to make sure South Yorkshire plays a leading role in solving the big challenges of our time, using the talent, resilience and creativity which defines us. We want those growing up here to believe, with confidence, that in South Yorkshire you can stay near and go far."

In previous years, Rotherham Council were able to decide were UKSPF funding should be spent - from shop unit grants and business support to Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture and social value.

SYMCA website

Images: Harworth Group

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