News: Sheffield and Rotherham Councils set to commit £800,000 to Don Valley Corridor

Sheffield and Rotherham Councils are both committing £400,000 each towards the development of a flagship place-based regeneration programme for South Yorkshire based around the Don Valley Corridor.

Rothbiz reported first last month that the region's first Mayoral Development Zone (MDZ) is proposed for a unified corridor for innovation, industry and neighbourhood renewal stretching from Sheffield city centre to the site of the proposed Rotherham Gateway Station.

Bringing together the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) with Rotherham Council and Sheffield Council "creates a single front door for Government, agencies and private markets."

Cabinet approval has been secured in Rotherham for the council to commit £400,000 of its Gainshare revenue allocation for the scheme and Sheffield Council is expected to match Rotherham's £400,000.

Gainshare funding refers to the money committed to South Yorkshire through the Devolution Deal agreed by the MCA, South Yorkshire local authorities and government.

The money will go "toward programme resourcing and feasibility work for priority projects for the first three years of the programme."

Linked to the South Yorkshire Investment Zone, the programme will address transport issues (including the proposed new mainline and tram train stop at Parkgate), flood resilience and brownfield land which has been held back by contamination, low land values and viability constraints.

Investment Zone status provides South Yorkshire with up to £160m over ten years which can be used to offer investors, developers and start-ups a combination of targeted support and financial interventions to start, scale up and relocate their businesses.

Rotherham Council has already begun recruiting for a Don Valley Corridor Service Manager, who is expected to head up a new team delivering both the Don Valley Corridor partnership and Rotherham Gateway.

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Rothbiz has previously set out the Rotherham schemes that will fall under the Don Valley Corridor, including the new mainline station, further industrial space at Templeborough and new housing at Bassingthorpe and in the town centre.

Headline figures are that, through coordinated development, the 30 year transformation will enable over 18,000 jobs and 10,500 new homes with a £1.3bn uplift in GVA.

SYMCA papers set out that the authorities will use its existing statutory powers, "in particular, its strategic economic development powers and regeneration powers, its own resources and relationships with government, infrastructure providers and the private sector, as part of an integrated place-based programme. This will provide confidence both to the market, government and the wider public sector."

The paper adds that "there is shared commitment between SYMCA, RMBC and SCC to resource the programme collectively as a shared endeavour, including programme development capacity."

A Rotherham Council paper calls it "a nationally significant regeneration programme with a dedicated governance structure, programme leadership, and a coordinated approach to funding, delivery, and investment. Without coordination, opportunities scatter across isolated projects. With it, investors see credibility, residents see genuine opportunity, and places see sustained improvement rather than episodic development."

External funding is set to come from gainshare and other devolved funding pots, including funds that support renewal, housing and infrastructure. Nationally, the programme will be positioned to engage with institutions such as Homes England and the National Wealth Fund.

The Government has already committed to providing the South Yorkshire Mayor with access to "£85m new money to support jobs and development, including in the Don Valley Corridor and Sheffield Innovation spine."

The Government's recently announced £2.3bn City Investment Fund will bring together different types of finance, deployed flexibly to accelerate projects, expand city-centre housing and office markets, and support major regeneration schemes across the North. It is expected to be used in "developing projects in the Don Valley Corridor, Sheffield city centre Innovation Spine, and Rotherham Town Centre."

A Rotherham Council paper adds: "SYMCA are currently identifying potential funding partners and exploring potential co-investment models. This approach is intended to raise the profile of Don Valley Corridor onto a national stage to leverage both public and private funding, maximising the impact and reach of the regional investment through Gainshare funding."

Don Valley Corridor website

Images: RMBC / SYMCA

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News: Mixed use plans for former Rotherham pub

A new set of plans have been submitted that would bring back to life a vacant pub on the edge of Rotherham town centre, reports Visit Rotherham.

Updated following earlier approved plans, they include a restaurant, a café and a small Bed & Breakfast (B&B).

Back in 2011, plans were approved to convert the rear of the vacant Crinoline Bridge Inn on Rawmarsh Road into a café/sandwich shop, with the main pub operating as a tile shop.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 that an application was submitted for a change of use from a tile shop to a restaurant, including the erection of a commercial unit with additional rear corridor access and the construction of first floor roof terrace.

Pad Thai Cafe has been in operation at the site for a number of years after applicant, Phil Richardson, was advised by Rotherham Council that the introduction of residential use in this location would be "wholly unsuitable and likely to lead to poor amenity for future occupiers."

Now Visit Rotherham reports on the latest plans that replace the previously approved single-restaurant scheme. None of the external alterations approved under the earlier permission are included in this revised submission.

If approved, the conversion would be carried out without external changes. All modifications proposed are internal, relating purely to the reorganisation of the building’s internal layout and operational model.

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Plans show that, on the ground floor, the restaurant will occupy the main frontage of the building, accessed from Rawmarsh Road. It will provide indoor dining and bar facilities. The café will be situated at the rear of the ground floor with its own seated areas and service counter.

The first floor will be internally reconfigured into four ensuite double bedrooms. These will operate as a small-scale B&B. The café will act as the functional hub for the B&B, providing breakfast for guests as well as check-in, key collection and visitor support.

Plans explain that they a create "a coherent and commercially viable mixed-use arrangement that maximises the long-term sustainability of the premises.

"The proposal represents a positive and sustainable re-use of an existing building by introducing three complementary commercial uses. The restaurant and café will provide community-facing food and drink services, while the B&B introduces modest visitor accommodation without the need for external works. This diversification strengthens long-term commercial viability and supports local employment.

"The scheme avoids any visual or physical impact on the surrounding area, maintains adequate parking and access arrangements, and aligns with national and local planning policy promoting sustainable economic growth and mixed-use development."

The Crinoline Bridge Inn, as it was originally known, is thought to have opened in 1849, with the current building at one time showing 1919 above the door.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Newest Rotherham burger joint opens

Visit Rotherham reports on the opening of a Rotherham branch of a popular burger joint in Sheffield that specialises in high-quality 100% Irish Angus smash burgers, 16-hour smoked beef ribs, and loaded munch boxes.

Maison de Burgers has operated on London Road in Sheffield for a number of years and recently secured planning permission to open in a vacant unit on Main Street in Rotherham town centre, adding to the vibrant food scene create in the area.

2 Main Street was previously part the former Tryst / Bar One unit and has been converted into a restaurant.

The grand opening is scheduled for Monday April 27.

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The menus includes juicy chicken burgers, perfectly smashed burgers, delectable wraps, flavorful shakes, succulent brisket, and perfectly cooked ribs.

Burger fans can get 50% off on the opening day to see if Maison de Burgers really does offer the best smash burgers in town!

The new eatery is part of the £10m Westgate Chambers development, which has quickly become a foodie destination in Rotherham with the openings of burger and milkshakes specialist, Munchies, and Cali's - a specialist in chicken burgers, wraps, wings and tenders. The outlets on Main Street were then joined by Dessert Time - the home of indulgent desserts.

Planning permission comes with a condition on opening hours - 10:00 until 23:30 Sundays to Thursdays, and 10:00 until 02:30 (the following day) Fridays and Saturdays. Other conditions relate to the installation of an extraction system.

The developers behind Westgate Chambers, HMP Bespoke Construction Ltd, has recently submitted plans to tweak the new build element of the scheme with the floor plan of the proposed building on Domine Lane reduced in size to avoid building over an adopted sewer.

Maison de Burgers website

Images: Maison de Burgers

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News: Keepmoat submits plans for Rotherham housing development

A planning application has been submitted to build houses on another green field site in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last year that Keepmoat Homes was targeting a site known as Aston Common that was allocated for residential use in the council's local plan, adopted in 2018 and taking it out of the green belt.

The Mansfield Road site is located within Swallownest which is designated as a Principal Settlement in the Rotherham Settlement Hierarchy contained within the local plan, which indicated that the 6.5 hectare site could be used for 175 houses.

The full application is for the erection of 189 dwellings, public open space, sustainable drainage solutions, pumping station and associated infrastructure.

Due to the sloping topography of the site, the design proposals have therefore been completed alongside specialist engineers to ensure that the development can be achieved successfully using a series of retaining walls.

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A variety of property types are established within the scheme in terms of form and size with a mix of 1 (10), 2 (65), 3 (69) and 4 (45) bedroom properties. Detached, semi detached and terraced forms are proposed as well as quarter houses.

Rotherham Council's policy for schemes of this size is for 25% of the houses to be classed as affordable. Keepmoat has raised concerns over viability and has not included an Affordable Housing Statement with the application.

All vehicle access will be taken from Mansfield Road.

Consultants for Keepmoat, JRP, state in the application: "This statement has identified a range of important benefits associated with the proposals. Chief among these, is the delivery of new homes. Very significant weight should be afforded to the delivery of new market and affordable housing.

"The proposed development brings significant social, economic and environmental benefits and very much falls within the definition of sustainable development, on which the NPPF [national planning policies] encourages planning authorities to take a positive approach. It has been demonstrated that the scheme will not result in any significant adverse impacts and there are no policies within the NPPF which indicates that the development should be restricted."

Earlier this year the planning board at Rotherham Council voted to approve plans for an application for over 100 houses also on Mansfield Road from developer, Gleeson.

Keepmoat website

Images: Keepmoat / JRP

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News: Pokémon-themed business trading up into long-vacant Rotherham unit

Plans have been approved that will enable the expansion of a Pokémon-themed shop and café in Rotherham town centre, reports Visit Rotherham.

Moving across town from the Imperial Buildings and transforming a vacant unit in The Old Town Hall in 2023, enterprising Lee Kucia has created a haven for Pokémon fans, offering cards, booster boxes, toys and graded cards. The theme continues into a Coffee House serving barista coffee, hot drinks, cake and sandwiches that also offers space for trading and playing.

Under the name, PokiLee, Lee has amassed over 11,000 subscribers on YouTube who catch him opening packs, interacting with customers and various other live streams.

Having also added a family-friendly arcade and renamed as PokiLee's CardCade, a new set of plans were submitted for a change of use at another retail unit in Rotherham town centre - a bigger building which will allow both businesses to operate cohesively from one location.

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Rothbiz reported in January on plans for 14 Howard Street, a former Argos store. The change of use application has now been approved.

Planners at Rotherham Council said: "Although the scheme introduces elements that move slightly away from traditional retail, such as café and gaming arcade, it is unlikely to result in any harmful impact on the Primary Shopping Frontage", it would "not detract from the existing appearance or character of the frontage and would instead make a positive contribution to Howard Street by reinstating an active and engaging street presence."

A post on social media from Pokilee's Cardcade said that: "Everything you love is coming together under one roof. Bigger and Better! We can’t wait for you to see it!"

The update added that the last day in the current Old Town Hall shop would be Saturday May 2 with a closure planned for around two weeks to get everything ready for the new space.

Pokilee's CardCade website

Images: Rees Denton / Pokilee's CardCade / Facebook

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