News: Meadowhall scales back Leisure Hall proposals

Stalled plans for a new £300m, 330,000 sq ft Leisure Hall development at Meadowhall have been scaled back.

The initial plans for a multi-level extension housed under a glazed roof on land currently used for car parking were approved in 2018 despite an objection from Rotherham Council, that stated that it would have a "significant adverse impact upon the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre."

Plans showed leisure space to provide a range of other uses to meet the needs of a wide family group, including a new cinema (the existing Vue Cinema would close, and be changed to an alternative leisure use) plus space for food and drink outlets. Some retail space was proposed as a transition between the new and existing sections of the centre.

Now a phased approach is being outlined which includes a number of elements:

- Revised Leisure Hall - £150m development on existing car park to include quality leisure space and include a new aspirational food and drink offer. Smaller than the original hall, it would also see the existing Vue cinema retained, to be expanded and modernised;
- "Big Box" retail on land near to the Next Home store;
- Interim Leisure Park - warehouses and land between Meadowhall and Vulcan Road to be converted to create temporary indoor and outdoor leisure space

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A spokesperson for British Land, said: "In 2018, British Land secured planning approval for a new Leisure Hall, to further diversify Meadowhall's offer beyond pure retail. Since that time, the leisure and retail sectors have undergone an unprecedented evolution.

"As British Land continues to look ahead, we have reappraised and revised our original Leisure Hall scheme, and we now intend to submit a new outline planning application this summer to change how we deliver our consented masterplan.

"Getting the right mix of leisure remains a key focus of our plans to ensure that Meadowhall continues to compete with other leading shopping centres into the future and continues to attract visitors from outside the region.

"In contrast to our original plans, however, the new application is designed to facilitate a phased approach to delivery, allowing individual elements of our planned new leisure, retail and food and beverage offer to be refined and adapted to suit market demands as the project progresses.

On the original proposals, Rotherham planners were also concerned for its own proposed leisure development at Forge Island which is set to be anchored by a cinema and hotel alongside food and beverage units. British Land argued that investor confidence in the Forge Island plans is not likely to be undermined by the new leisure hall given that a cinema already exists at Meadowhall and a hotel is proposed for Rotherham, and that the food offer would be different.

Recommended reading: How Online Entertainment Can Complement Local Options

Planners at Sheffield Council were in agreement with British Land and also agreed that the proposal will "undoubtedly have a negative impact on Rotherham's town centre which is already in a fragile state."

British Land's updated plans for the River Don District (RDD) are yet to be discussed by the planning board at Sheffield Council. Rotherham Council was planning to raise an objection her too with concerns over the impact on the proposed Forge Island scheme.

Meadowhall website

Images: British Land

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News: Council concerns over Don Valley development

Rotherham Council is planning to raise an objection with redevelopment plans for an area near Meadowhall in Sheffield with concerns over the impact on the proposed Forge Island scheme in Rotherham town centre.

British Land has updated its plans for the River Don District (RDD) on three underused adjoining plots of land in Sheffield's Lower Don Valley, to the south of Meadowhall.

The 17.07 ha site was previously identified for an office-led, mixed-use scheme, but following the success of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and the Sheffield Business Park in Sheffield, new elements linked to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) are being put forward.

The AMID vision is based on a 2,000-acre centre of excellence for innovation-led research and industrial collaboration, where industry and academia are co-located in a new form of business park.

The new RDD application includes manufacturing and research units for major occupiers and premises for growing and new start-up companies.

In addition, the application includes hotel floorspace as well as supporting retail, food and beverage, and leisure uses. It is these elements that are causing concerns for Rotherham Council, who have secured the land and have a preferred development partner for a leisure-led regeneration scheme on Forge Island.

A response from Rotherham Council to the planning application for the River Don District, reads: "Further assessment should be carried out as part of the Sequential and Impact Tests to discount and assess the impact of the development on Forge Island in terms of the proposed retail and leisure uses.

"If this assessment is not carried out RMBC wish to formally object on the grounds that insufficient information exists to fully assess the impact of development on Forge Island."

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Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.

The planning documents state that during pre-application discussions it was suggested that Forge Island, Rotherham should be assessed as a sequential alternative but it was not.

Quad Consultants are working on the scheme and said: "It is important to note that this site [Forge Island] is located outside the agreed catchment for the retail element of scheme, and at the very edge (largely outside) of the catchment for the proposed leisure uses.

"In this context, we do not believe that it is appropriate to consider this site as a sequential alternative location to accommodate the proposed development. Locating the proposal at the Forge Island site would serve an entirely different catchment to that intended to be served by the application proposal."

The planning consultants have questioned the need to apply the sequential test. They expect that any retail and food and beverage uses in the scheme would be locally focused, and service the future employees on the site, which could be up to 4,800.

On impact, the plans add: "In terms of any impact on future investment in Rotherham, again this will not be significant adverse. Rotherham, is located well beyond the agreed catchment for the retail element of the proposal and at the periphery (and just beyond) the wider catchment agreed for the leisure element.

"Consequently, the delivery of localised facilities to meet the needs of employees on the site, as well as to serve the immediate catchment, there will be no impact on Rotherham."

Rotherham Council objected to plans for a 330,000 sq ft Leisure Hall development at Meadowhall, stating that it would have a "significant adverse impact upon the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre." Sheffield City Council's planning board approved the plans last year.

River Don District website

Images: British Land

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News: Artwork to replace Tinsley Towers

New artworks that celebrate Rotherham and Sheffield's shared industrial heritage are being proposed for the area close to where the iconic Tinsley cooling towers once stood.

Proposals from commissioned artist, Alex Chinneck include a family of four sculptural, red brick chimneys that border, bridge and illuminate the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, each stretching up to 30 metres tall.

Onwards & Upwards is a sculptural trail linking Sheffield and Rotherham that can be enjoyed by foot, bike or boat. It is set to be created close to E.ON's biomass power plant at Blackburn Meadows where linkages between the city and town are being improved through the £20m Tinsley Link Road and the £100m tram train scheme.

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Artist Alex Chinneck said: "Through a process of architectural re-introduction, sculptural re-imagination and modern manufacturing, we have attempted to create a regionally relevant and nationally significant cultural attraction."

Partners on the three-year project include Sheffield Council, Rotherham Council, Tinsley Forum and Arts Council England, together with sponsors E.ON, who awarded the commission to replace the towers that were demolished in 2008.

Major sponsors are British Land, the co-owner of neighbouring Meadowhall, landowners Yorkshire Water and the Canal and River Trust, and Sheffield Cultural Consortium and Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust. Together, they are working towards the project's completion in summer 2019.

Following on from initial investment in the project by E.ON, further money has been pledged from the private sector (British Land and IKEA) to support the delivery of this once-in-a-generation cultural project.

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Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, said: "We are very proud to be supporting this important initiative. Awe-inspiring and thought provoking in equal measure, Alex's work will bring a great deal to the community. This is a very exciting installation in a very important and prominent location."

Cllr. Taiba Yasseen, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and cultural services at Rotherham Council, said: "These astonishing new artworks celebrate Rotherham and Sheffield's shared industrial heritage and connects this to our contemporary engineering and manufacturing industries.

"This imaginative project will encourage residents and visitors alike to enjoy the canal-side walk between Rotherham's town centre and Meadowhall. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to have work by artist Alex Chinneck, with his outstanding reputation for innovation and excellence, right here on our doorstep."

Plans are still progressing for The Yorkshire Man of Steel which includes an ambitious 32 metre stainless steel sculpture and an innovative Information Hub and Observation Tower to be built on a former landfill site in Rotherham.

Onwards & Upwards website

Images: Alex Chinneck

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News: £300m Meadowhall extension approved by Sheffield planning board

Councillors on the planning board of Sheffield Council have unanimously voted in favour of the new 330,000 sq ft Leisure Hall development at Meadowhall. The negative impact on retail centres such as Sheffield city centre and Rotherham town centre was not considered to be "significantly adverse."

The plans are for a multi-level extension housed under a glazed roof on land currently used for car parking. Plans show leisure space to provide a range of other uses to meet the needs of a wide family group, including a new cinema (the existing Vue Cinema will close, and be changed to an alternative leisure use) plus space for food and drink outlets. Some retail space is proposed as a transition between the new and existing sections of the centre.

The board met this week and were recommended to approve the plans by council planners following amendments which saw a proposed food store element removed from the scheme.

Charles Maudsley, head of retail, leisure and residential for British Land (the applicants and co owners of Meadowhall), said: "We are delighted with the Planning Committee’s decision and will now work with our partners and other stakeholders over the coming months on the detail of the Leisure Hall to ensure Meadowhall delivers the maximum benefits for customers, retailers and the wider Sheffield city region.

"The refurbishment completing later this year, our continued leasing success, significant store investment by retailers and the Leisure Hall proposals are all significant steps in the centre's continued evolution."

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Rotherham Council objected to the plans, stating that it would have a "significant adverse impact upon the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre."

Studies show that £1.2m (0.7%) of the turnover in Rotherham town centre at 2021 is expected to be diverted to the new Meadowhall development. The applicants argued that Rotherham's Council's comparison of the the core offers of its town centre and Meadowhall was "a simplistic approach [that] fails to recognise the fundamentally different retail offer of both destinations."

Analysts at GVA gave predictions on the draw of the new leisure hall. It said that, at present, only 25% of Meadowhall food and beverage turnover comes from residents of the Sheffield urban area. 75% comes from residents of Rotherham (51%), Barnsley (8%) and the area to the south-east of Sheffield and area between Sheffield and Rotherham. The applicants hope that the offer will become more popular to residents of Sheffield whilst also continuing to attract a large amount of trade from Rotherham and Barnsley.

Rotherham planners are also concerned for the proposed £43m leisure development at Forge Island which is set to be anchored by a cinema and hotel alongside food and beverage units. British Land argued that investor confidence in the Forge Island plans is not likely to be undermined by the new leisure hall given that a cinema already exists at Meadowhall and a hotel is proposed for Rotherham.

The commercial agents for British Land suggest that the likely interest in Forge Island from food and drink operators will be from the fast/contemporary casual national brands, some of which are already trading at Meadowhall (within the Oasis). Frankie and Benny's, Chiquitos, Coast to Coast, Nando's and Harvester are given as examples. The anticipated tenant lineup at the new leisure hall is "aligned to a more mature scheme, with the brands being more aspirational and varied food offers."

Planners at Sheffield Council were in agreement with British Land and also agree that the proposal will "undoubtedly have a negative impact on Rotherham's town centre which is already in a fragile state."

The report to the planning board concluded that: "It is judged that the level of impact on Rotherham town centre is not sufficient to be considered to be significantly adverse which is the planning test for refusing permission."

The applicants, Sheffield Council and Highways England have been working on conditions for the approval based on British Land committing to significant improvements to the road network, especially at Junction 34 of the M1.

Future Meadowhall website

Images: British Land

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News: Rotherham Council objects to £300m Meadowhall leisure hall

Rotherham Council is objecting to a planning application for a £300m Leisure Hall at Meadowhall, stating that it is likely to have a significant adverse impact on Rotherham town centre and the planned investment in the Forge Island site.

The plan comprises a 330,000 sq ft multi-level extension housed under a glazed roof on land currently used for car parking. Plans show leisure space to provide a range of other uses to meet the needs of a wide family group, including a new cinema (the existing Vue Cinema will close, and be changed to an alternative leisure use) plus space for food and drink outlets. A new foodstore and added retail units are also planned.

Due to the out-of-town location, the applicants are required to undertake a sequential test and impact studies in line with national planning policies. Rotherham Council has been asked for its views due to the site being 5 km from Sheffield city centre and 3 km from Rotherham town centre.

Applicants, British Land, insist that the development will not have any unacceptable trading effects on Rotherham town centre or cause any significant adverse impact on planned investment.

Retail studies conclude that Rotherham town centre ranks highest as experiencing the greatest level of competition amongst the 200 UK centres due to its proximity to Meadowhall and Parkgate. Council planners point to the fragility of the health of Rotherham town centre and conclude that the impact on the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre is likely to be significantly adverse if Meadowhall is extended.

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A report to the planning board at Rotherham Council adds: "Due to the lack of leisure facilities in Rotherham town centre at present, the proposed floorspace in the Meadowhall extension is unlikely to have a direct impact on the existing health of the centre but is nevertheless likely to be a contributory factor to a wider indirect impact on the centre due to the growing attractiveness of Meadowhall."

The proposals for Forge Island, recently purchased by the Council who hope to see a £43m leisure hub created, are not considered as "committed investment that is contractually committed or subject to resolution" and were not included in the applicant's impact statement. The applicants also stated that, as the cinema is being replaced at Meadowhall, the potential interest in a cinema is Rotherham is in the context that a cinema already operates at Meadowhall and Valley Centertainment and will complement any future offer in Rotherham.

Rotherham planners agree that the Meadowhall cinema will not fundamentally affect operator interest in Rotherham in its own right but have a greater level of concern in relation to the food and beverage uses. They are worried that some operators will prefer Meadowhall over Rotherham and that "operators will not have the confidence to invest at the Forge Island site due to the strength of Meadowhall in the local catchment."

It is likely that the cinema on the Forge Island site would be occupied by an independent operator and unless the food/beverage uses are attracted then the cinema use will not be delivered.

The report concludes: "It is considered that the Meadowhall extension is likely to pose a significant threat to the investment in the Forge Island site. This is a threat to both public and private investment as RMBC has recently purchased the site with the intention of facilitating redevelopment. Private sector investment will also be affected as RMBC will not be able to secure a development partner to pursue the redevelopment as development viability will be affected.

"Rotherham town centre has suffered over a number of years in terms of business confidence, with considerable competition from Sheffield city centre, Meadowhall and Parkgate in Rotherham. This is evident from the high number of vacancies and the falling level of comparison goods retailers and the on-going threat of further retailers deciding to move to competing locations. As a consequence, with already low levels of confidence, we consider that the Meadowhall extension is likely to have a significant adverse impact on existing investment in Rotherham town centre."

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce is backing the proposals at Meadowhall, supporting the application to ensure that the region does not lose visitors and for the economic benefits of additional jobs and through the local supply chain.

Future Meadowhall website

Images: British land

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News: Parkgate Shopping on sale - reports

Property Week reports that leading retail destination, Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham, has been put up for sale by its owners.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust (HUT), which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops, it is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

Writing in the national property magazine, Richard Williams reports that Hercules has appointed agents at CBRE to market a £300m portfolio comprising almost 1m sq ft across four secondary out-of-town retail parks in the UK. The largest retail park in the portfolio is Parkgate Shopping, which is 575,000 sq ft.

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In 1987, Parkgate Retail World opened as part of the regeneration of large areas of reclaimed land formerly occupied by the Park Gate Iron and Steel Co. The park has grown and is currently 100% let with recent openings by Poundland and Wilkinson, who have both taken ten year leases. Attracting over nine million visitors a year, it was ranked as the fifth best retail park in the UK by retail consultancy, Javelin Group in its latest VENUESCORE report which assesses the UK's leading 3,000+ commercial venues.

The Hercules Unit Trust is a Jersey-based property unit trust that owns and manages 19 retail warehouse and shopping parks, providing around 4.5 million sq ft and is worth around £1.5 billion.

Unit trusts are collective funds that allow private investors to pool their money in a single fund that is then managed by professional fund managers, thus spreading their risk across a range of investments. Returns are created by rental income and property sales made in response to changing market conditions.

HUT acquired Parkgate in a £260m deal from developers, the Stadium Group in 2005, representing an equivalent yield of 5.25%. As part of the same transaction, Stadium acquired Newport Retail Park from Hercules for £60m.

In 2014, British Land agreed to purchase £41m of additional units in Hercules, taking British Land's share to 54.2%, which meant that the trust would become a subsidiary of British Land.

British Land is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the UK and owns and manages a portfolio of commercial property worth £17.1 billion. This includes Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, which it owns alongside Norwegian sovereign wealth fund Norges.

Parkgate Shopping website

Images: Parkgate Shopping

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News: Vivid's sparkling sales

Vivid Jewellery has put down recent sparkling sales figures to a new online marketing strategy, developed with support from experts at The Source Skills Academy.

Owner Deborah Pearson started the jewellery business on an outdoor market stall with husband Richard in 2009 with £250 in her pocket. Now she has two indoor stores at Rotherham and Barnsley markets selling fashion jewellery and accessories with prices ranging from £1 to £65 to suit a range of customers.

Based at Meadowhall, The Source Skills Academy is a flagship centre providing state of the art training and development facilities with a focus on the retail and service sector.

A Rotherham base opened on the High Street in 2011 with support from Rotherham Council and the Skills Funding Agency.

In August, Deborah was approached by account manager at The Source, George Fullerton, who told her about a course that The Source offer which is fully funded to businesses who meet certain criteria.

After attending the first of three sessions, Deborah started making changes to their online strategy straight away. Whilst they were already using some social media platforms, Deborah was inspired to start using twitter and the business soon had over 600 followers. She also set up a Google plus page which was seen by 7,500 people in the first week.

Deborah Pearson, owner of Vivid Jewellery, said: "We knew the course was worth going on as soon as we looked at our October sales. Our October 2014 sales were up 40% compared to October 2013 and we know that isn't a coincidence."

The new tools helped Vivid Jewellery sell over 2,000 rhinestone encrusted poppies in the run up to Remembrance Sunday. Deborah added: "I wasn't sure how many we would sell so only ordered 500 limited edition ones with the wording 1914-2014, but they sold out within days with people travelling from across the region just to see them. 10% of the proceeds went to The Royal British Legion which amounted to £2300. This donation will go to the local serving and ex-Service community and their families.

"We took so much away from the course that has helped us build the business, not only from the fantastic trainer Dina Holland but also from being around other small businesses; learning what they do differently and sharing best practice."

The Digital High Street Skills programme is split into three modules which look at different aspects of digital communications; from websites to Social Media and from e-commerce to eBay, these modules will help businesses strategise their way to new customers.

The programme has been developed with the help of the Employer Ownership Fund and with co-financing from the European Social Fund, the National Skills Academy for Retail can offer training and mentoring for small retail businesses at substantially reduced rates. The fund is accessible to all businesses in the Retail, Hospitality, Leisure & Tourism sectors with fewer than 250 employees and in the Sheffield city region.

Vivid Jewellery website
The Source website

Images: The Source

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News: Parkgate 100% let

Parkgate Shopping, the popular Rotherham retail destination, is 100% let but the closure of the large Kiddicare store has left a large whole in the portfolio of leading stores.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust(HUT), which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around seven million visitors a year. It is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

As Rothbiz reported first, discount retailer, Poundland, has opened a 9,900 sq ft unit and Wilkinson, the value general merchandise retailer, recently took over the 20,000 sq ft, former Comet store.

British Land has now revealed that both retailers have taken ten year leases. Smith Young and Cushman & Wakefield acted for HUT.

Matthew Reed, senior asset manager for British Land, said: "We are delighted that Parkgate Shopping is now fully let, demonstrating the scheme's appeal to a broad range of occupiers. The addition of Wilko and Poundland enhances the attraction of the park, delivers more brands to our shoppers, and helps drive footfall."

The recent lettings follow on from Nike Factory Store and fashion retailers, USC & Blue Inc opening new stores.

In contrast, one of the largest units on the park, the 45,000 sq ft store occupied by Kiddicare, the retailer of baby products, recently closed. The award-winning online retailer was acquired by Morrisons in 2011 for £70m and was the first step in developing the Morrisons online business. However, the business was sold earlier this year for £2m to Endless LLP, a leading investor in non-core acquisitions, who promptly closed all but the original store.

Morrisons retains the leases in the former Best Buy stores and recently said that it is currently working to dispose of ten store leases.

The small Phones4u store also closed as the retailer entered administration this month.

Future plans at Parkgate, which is coming under threat from new out of town developments at nearby Great Eastern Way and at Cortonwood, include a new 4,000 sq ft Nando's restaurant to replace the current Pizza Hut.

Parkgate Shopping website

Images: British Land

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News: Rotherham Mamas & Papas store "unviable"

Mamas & Papas stores in Rotherham and Sheffield are under threat of closure if the Huddersfield-based premium nursery retailer cannot agree rent reductions with its landlords.


The company was born in 1981 by David and Luisa Scacchetti and has grown to over 60 stores in the UK and Ireland. A wider restructuring plan for the group was announced earlier this year following investment from Bluegem Capital Partners in July.

As part of the restructure, experts at Deloitte were appointed by Mamas & Papas (Retail) Limited to negotiate a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to revise lease terms for its stores. A CVA is often used by insolvent companies to negotiate new payment terms or periods with its creditors, in this case, the rent on retail property. However, the CVA must be agreed by all creditors (the landlords) for it to be put in place. If it isn't, then there is a distinct possibility that the retailer will enter into administration.

Daniel Butters, partner at Deloitte, said: "The proposed CVA will allow the group to revise lease terms and proceed with its wider restructuring plan. The proposals put forward offer the best possible solution for Mamas & Papas (Retail) Limited and all of its stakeholders in comparison to the likely alternative outcomes. The creditors will vote on the proposals on 10 September 2014."

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Now, Retail Week has published details of the CVA showing that Mamas & Papas stores at Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham and Meadowhall in Sheffield are considered "currently unviable." The two local stores join 23 others where the retailer is asking for a 50% reduction in rent.

British Land operates a 50/50 joint venture with Norges Bank Investment Management for Meadowhall and has Parkgate in its portfolio via the Hercules Unit Trust (HUT), the specialist retail park fund.

The news follows on from fellow retailer of baby products, Kiddicare closing its loss making stores - including the 45,000 sq ft store at Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham.

Mamas & Papas website

Images: Mamas & Papas / Facebook

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News: Plans passed for Rotherham Nando's

A planning application for a new Nando's restaurant in Rotherham has been granted.

Rothbiz revealed in May that the popular flame-grilled peri-peri chicken specialists were planning to take space at Parkgate Shopping as part of a redevelopment.


The plans, drawn up by Archial Norr and Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, involve the demolition of the current Pizza Hut restaurant to be replaced by a new building to include a 372 sq m, 128 cover Nando's and a 93 sq m Subway. The new building would also include a cash machine and new toilet facilities. The proposal is for "a very modest uplift" in floorspace of just 250 sq m.

The park owners, British Land, together with potential operators and visitors have all shown an interest in an improved food and drink offer at Parkgate. A 377 sq m Frankie & Benny's restaurant opened in 2012 to complement to the existing instore cafés and fast food outlets.

National planning policies are designed to protect town centres and focus retail and leisure uses there.

In 2011, Rotherham planners recommended that the Frankie & Benny's proposal at Parkgate be refused believing that it would be a destination in its own right and would divert trade, investment and expenditure away from Rotherham town centre. It also concluded that there were preferable sites for a restaurant in the town centre.

However, the application was resubmitted including an agreement for a £130,000 contribution to be used by the council on a range of initiatives to improve the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre.

Planning permission for the development was granted, without being taken to the planning board, in February 2012.

The Nando's application has also been approved by planners without being taken to the planning board.

The officer's report states that the further development of Parkgate "prejudices the vitality and viability of the town centre and future investment" and that "further expansion with uses that could be located in Rotherham town centre should therefore be resisted."

However, the planners add that "no evidence exists to demonstrate that the proposed development would have a significant adverse effect on the town centre."

Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen. In this case, the applicants have discounted a number of sites in the town centre including the Old Market and Keppel Wharf buildings.

The Keppel Wharf unit, designed specifically for a restaurant, was discounted by the applicants who said that "on the ground floor there is a 312 sq m unit that is now occupied by health food store and is therefore no longer available."

The planning department agreed, despite this not actually being the case. Vitalife's health store opened in March in the 55 sq m Unit 1 at Keppel Wharf, leaving the 471 sq m Unit 2, complete with terrace on the river, still available.

Nando's website
Parkgate Shopping website

Images: Nando's / Archial Norr

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News: Potential Poundland letting would put Parkgate up to 100%

Discount retailer, Poundland, looks set to take a 9,900 sq ft unit at Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham, a deal that would see the popular shopping park become 100% let.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust, which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around 150,000 visitors a week. It is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

Europe's biggest and fastest growing single price discount retailer, Poundland has submitted a planning application for its sigange at Unit 7, which has been vacant since it was closed by the administrators of Clinton Cards. The Birthdays store opened at Parkgate in 2008 as a concession in the Pure Party unit alongside Game and Thorntons, two retailers that have also had financial struggles.

With a store already in Rotherham town centre, Poundland continues to expand. In November 2013 it reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 500th store and the business now trades from 517 Poundland and Dealz stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

On the back of a record 2013 where total sales were up by 13.3% year-on-year, the West Midlands firm announced its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange.

Recent openings at Parkgate include Wilko, who have moved into the 20,000 sq ft unit vacated by Comet. It follows from Nike Factory Store and fashion retailers, USC & Blue Inc opening new stores.

Plans are also being progressed to replace the current Pizza Hut restaurant with a new building to include a 372 sq m, 128 cover Nando's restaurant and a 93 sq m Subway outlet.

The no vacancies signs going up at Parkgate compares to the LDC's average vacancy rate for out of town retail parks in the country of 8.9%

British Land reported today that it had completed 334,000 sq ft of retail lettings/renewals in the quarter to June 30 2014 and that occupancy amongst its retail portfolio is up to 98.6%

Poundland website
Parkgate Shopping website

Images: Poundland

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News: Nando's set to open in Rotherham

Leading restaurant chain, Nando's is planning to open a new restaurant in Rotherham.

Favoured by the likes of David Beckham, Beyoncé and students, the popular chain's specialisation is flame-grilled peri-peri chicken. With aims to open at 25 new sites every year, each employing around 30 staff, a planning application has now been submitted for a new outlet at Parkgate Shopping.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust, which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around 150,000 visitors a week. It is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

Founded in South Africa in 1987, Nando's operates a casual dining restaurant group with 1,000 outlets. The first UK restaurant opened in 1992 and there are now over 280 restaurants in the UK. The UK arm of Nando's says that it serves half a million chickens a week. Owned by Capricorn Ventures International, latest sales figures are a reported £485m and profits in 2013 rose to £58.5m. Current local restaurants are in Sheffield, with one planned for Doncaster Leisure Park.

The latest plans, drawn up by Archial Norr and Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, would involve the demolition of the current Pizza Hut restaurant to be replaced by a new building to include a 372 sq m, 128 cover Nando's and a 93 sq m Subway. The new building would also include a cash machine and new toilet facilities.

The park owners, potential operators and visitors have all shown an interest in an improved food and drink offer at Parkgate. A 377 sq m Frankie & Benny's restaurant opened in 2012 to complement to the existing instore cafés and fast food outlets. Britain's number one seller of sandwiches, Subway, opened an outlet at Parkgate in 2008 but it didn't last long.

The new application will need to be approved by the council's planning department who are guided by national planning policies designed to protect town centres and focus retail and leisure uses there. The application states that, as the proposal is "a very modest uplift" in floorspace of just 250 sq m, it will have no material impact on the restaurant sector within the town centre and no noticeable impact on the vitality and viability of the centre as a whole.

Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen. In this case, the applicants have discounted a number of sites in the town centre including the Old Market and Keppel Wharf buildings.

The applicants also make reference to the recent approval for an out of town retail development at Great Eastern Way and the £30m extension to Cortonwood that was approved on appeal last year.

In 2011, Rotherham planners recommended that the Frankie & Benny's proposal at Parkgate be refused believing that it would be a destination in its own right and would divert trade, investment and expenditure away from Rotherham town centre. It also concluded that there were preferable sites for a restaurant in the town centre.

However, the application was resubmitted including an agreement for a £130,000 contribution to be used by the council on a range of initiatives to improve the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre.

Planning permission for the development was granted, without being taken to the planning board, in February 2012.

Nando's website
Parkgate Shopping website

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News: FreeBee rides again

FreeBee, the popular free bus service between Rotherham town centre and Parkgate is set to continue for at least the next two years thanks to investment by the owners of Parkgate Shopping.

The free service ran every 12 minutes from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday between the main retail areas of Parkgate Shopping and Rotherham town centre, whilst also running around the town linking areas such as the council offices on Main Street, Rotherham Leisure Complex, the markets and the bus station. It has carried an estimated two and half million passengers since the environmentally friendly Euro V bus made its first trip from Rotherham Interchange to Parkgate in October 2009.

Under proposals put forward by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority as they aim to make savings of around 10% to their annual budget, the two FreeBee bus services in Sheffield and Rotherham centres, which are funded by public subsidy, would be discontinued from the end of April.

Now, the owners of Parkgate Shopping, Hercules Unit Trust, of which British Land is the major shareholder, has put forward £236,000 for the next two years, prior to the opening in 2016 of the Tram-Train service between Sheffield and Parkgate.

The free service, which will now comprise of just one bus, will operate every 20 minutes from 28 April between Rotherham Interchange and Parkgate only, via St Ann's Leisure Centre.

Denis Copeland, manager at Parkgate Shopping, said: "When we launched the free service in 2009 alongside the SYPTE we were not only responding to a demand from shoppers and employees, but creating a sustainable alternative for the many people who want to combine trips to Parkgate with a visit to the town centre.

"The popularity of the service has exceeded all our expectations and confirmed the value of the strong link between ourselves and the town centre. We are delighted to be able to maintain the connection into the future as a valuable free service, and thank all our partners who have helped us to retain this sustainable transport initiative."

The bus will continue to be run by family owned Powells Bus Company, who operate from a purpose built depot on Hellaby Industrial Estate with a 45 strong workforce. Managing Director, Ian Powell, said: "We were delighted to have been retained on this very successful service as it has proved to be by far the most popular route that we serve in the region."

David Young, deputy interim director general at the SYPTE, added: "We are pleased the FreeBee service is able to continue to operate between Rotherham Interchange and Parkgate, and welcome the private sector investment in public bus services at this time of ongoing austerity. Maintaining this popular service will help to continue to connect people to employment and leisure activities in Rotherham, and goes some way to reducing the customer impact as a result of government cuts."

Parkgate Shopping website

Images: Thomas Cousins via Wikimedia Commons

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News: British Land increasing share in Parkgate owners

British Land has agreed to purchase £41m of additional units in Hercules Unit Trust (HUT), the Jersey-based property unit trust that owns Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham.

The trust owns and manages 17 retail warehouse and shopping parks, providing around 4.5 million sq ft and is worth around £1.5 billion.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust, which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around seven million visitors a year. It is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

British Land is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the UK and owns and manages a portfolio of commercial property worth £17.1 billion. This includes Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, which it owns alongside Norwegian sovereign wealth fund Norges.

British Land is acquiring the increased share at a price of £613 per unit, 3.8% below the latest net asset value (NAV), as part of a scheduled pre-emption process. British Land has also submitted an application to Schroders to acquire up to £35m of further units in the trust which have been tendered as part of this process.

Unit trusts are collective funds that allow private investors to pool their money in a single fund that is then managed by professional fund managers, thus spreading their risk across a range of investments.

The initial acquisition takes British Land's share to 54.2% from its current level of 49.2%, which means that the Hercules Unit Trust would become a subsidiary of British Land.

Charles Maudsley, head of Retail at British Land, said: "HUT has some of the highest quality retail parks in the country. The purchase of additional units is in line with our strategy of focusing on retail locations which are the preferred local destination for shoppers, are flexible, affordable and capable of remaining at the heart of retailers' omni-channel offer."

British Land website

Images: British Land

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News: Rotherham retail centres work together

An independent study in 2010 identified Rotherham town centre as having the highest amount of retail competition in the UK. Now it works collaboratively with the co-owners of the developments that provide that competition, British Land.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust, Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham, five minutes from the town centre, is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around seven million visitors a year. British Land owns 41.2% of Hercules Unit Trust.

Less that 15 minutes from Rotherham town centre, Meadowhall provides 1.5 million sq ft of high quality retail and leisure space on the outskirts of Sheffield and attracts over 25 million visitors per year. It is owned in a joint venture between British Land and Norges Bank Investment Management.

British Land made a £130,000 contribution to Rotherham's ambitious business development programme that helped Rotherham Borough Council to secure an additional £100,000 from the Government's Portas Pilot scheme. This was followed up with £268,000 awarded as part of the government's High Street Renewal Award.

The funding from British Land came forward after planning permission was refused for a new Frankie & Benny's restaurant at Parkgate.

The funding has been put to good use, supporting local, independent retailers and reducing the number of vacant units. It is all part of the plan to create an offer that helps differentiate the town centre from that of their nearest competitors.

The £100,000 business development grant fund has already supported the renovation of Café Rendezvous, the expansion of the Whistle Stop Sweet Shop (pictured) to include a new temperance bar, and the renovation of Stems florists.

Around £12,000 has gone into mystery shopper reviews, improvement grants and World Host customer service training involving over 170 businesses, highlighting examples of "platinum service" and providing training opportunities to improve customer service standards.

£2,500 has been used on training almost 60 traders in visual merchandising, gift wrapping, media and marketing to ensure that Rotherham retailers offer an experience which attracts shoppers and helps retailers collectively spread the Shop Local message.

£15,000 has been used for Rotherham's successful pop up shop scheme, the first of which has given new business Vintage Dolls the chance to test its business ideas on flexible terms, with a queue of retailers now awaiting the next pop up opportunities.

£25,000 has also been spent on the town's high profile Shop Local campaign, finding innovative ways to promote the quality, differentiated shopping offer, alongside advertising discounts and other incentives in over 100 shops and restaurants participating in the Shop Local loyalty card scheme.

The next phase of High Street renewal in Rotherham is already being planned.

Matthew Reed, asset manager at British Land, said: "We believe town centre and out-of-town retail destinations can work together for the greater good of an area - providing local people with complementary retail offers, doing joint marketing, hosting events to promote local traders, supporting apprenticeships and training - and more.

"With footfall up and new shops opening all the time, Rotherham town centre is a great example of how the high street can work well alongside other retail destinations and thrive in an "omnichannel" era. We hope to work more closely with more town centre teams for the benefit of all."

Paul Woodcock, director of Planning & Regeneration at Rotherham Council, added: "The partnership with British Land has provided a real boost to the town; it's clear that there is a role for both the edge-of-town retail park and the historic town centre - both offering complementary retail and leisure alternatives."

"Rotherham town centre has bucked national trends and continues to flourish thanks to the focus on our specialist independent offer. The support from British Land has allowed us to support those new-start businesses, help retailers to grow and promote our town centre to a wider audience, and we look forward to working on joint projects going forward."

Rotherham town centre website
Parkgate Shopping website

Images: British Land

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News: Nike set to open new store in Rotherham

American sports brand, Nike, is planning to open a new factory store at Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham.

Taking over the 10,000 sq ft unit vacated by fellow sports retailer, Sports Direct when it expanded into the former JJB Sports unit next door, the Nike factory store will offer authentic Nike products from previous seasons, at discounted prices. These include sports apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment.

This week also saw the first Early Learning Centre and Mothercare outlet store open within the current Mothercare unit on the park. Mothercare has been reducing the number of High Street stores for the ELC brand it acquired in 2007, with the aim of taking the best sites from both brands and creating more profitable stores with two brands in the one location.

A planning application has been submitted for new signage at the Nike factory store, the first in South Yorkshire, and recruitment is underway for store management.

Trade magazine Retail Week reported earlier this year that Nike was planning to double its UK store portfolio to 60 over the next few years with a focus on out-of-town expansion. One recently announced deal will see Nike open its first UK non-discount shopping park store at Broughton Shopping Park in Chester.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust, which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around seven million visitors a year.

The latest deal signifies an upturn for the park in terms of lettings after a difficult 2012 when it was hit by a number of retail administrations. Big names including Comet, JJB Sports, HMV, Birthdays, GAME, Peacocks and Shutopia left the park with Kiddicare and Frankie & Benny's the most recent openings. The park now has just three vacant units including the large unit vacated by Comet when the electronics retailer went into administration.

In July, planning permission was granted for the installation of a mezzanine floor adding 5,000 sq ft to the unit currently occupied by BHS. The unit to be taken by Nike will have its mezzanine floor removed.

Meanwhile, at the nearby Foundry Retail Park, the owners, Brockton Capital and Pradera, have recently submitted plans to sub-divide the large unit recently vacated by Staples in the hope of securing lettings for two smaller units.

Parkgate Shopping website

Images: Nike / Triplar

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News: Rotherham's retailers of the future

Young apprentices are proving popular with small, independent retailers in Rotherham town centre.

British Land, the part-owners of Meadowhall Shopping Centre and Parkgate Shopping is building on the success of the customer service apprenticeships it part-funded at Meadowhall last year.

The property investor worked with local partner The Source Skills Academy to create further apprenticeship opportunities with independent retailers.

Based at Meadowhall, The Source Skills Academy is a flagship centre providing state of the art training and development facilities with a focus on the retail and service sector.

A new venture opened on Rotherham's High Street last year offering advice, guidance and training services to Rotherham businesses to increase skills levels and to support trade in the town centre, attracting new investment.

George Elliott of The Source, said: "The project has been a huge success and the youngsters lucky enough to gain a place on the scheme have developed into excellent, vibrant, and committed retailers who add a great deal to the businesses they are placed in."

Chris Hamby (pictured above, right), owner of two stores in Rotherham town centre, added: "Taking on a young apprentice has been a real eye opener for me. When we were approached, I was a bit nervous about whether they would be customer focused enough, but Ashley has been great and has changed my opinion.

"Based on this experience, I would definitely be interested in taking on another young apprentice in our other store, and hope to be able to offer a permanent role to Ashley. For us, this scheme has been a total success on every level."

The Source website

Hambys website

British Land website

Images: British Land

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News: Rotherham Birthdays store to close

The Rotherham store at Parkgate of national greeting card retailer, Birthdays, will close, administrators confirmed yesterday.


The store is a subsidiary of Clinton Cards Plc which entered administration last week. Zolfo Cooper, the administrators, announced that all Birthdays stores will close along with approximately 200 Clinton Cards branded stores, adding that exact locations, timings and employee numbers will be confirmed shortly.

Rotherham has a Clinton store on College Street in the town centre.

The Group is the UK's largest specialist retailer of greetings cards and related products with in excess of 750 stores and 2011 revenues of over £360 million across its two retail brands, Clinton Cards and Birthdays.

Clintons was founded in 1968 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. It has a significant high street presence and employs over 8,000 full time and part time staff.

The stores that are set to close are located throughout the country and employ approximately 2,800 full time and part time staff.

The Birthdays store opened at Parkgate in 2008 as a concession in the Pure Party unit alongside Game and Thorntons, two retailers that have also had financial struggles.

The store closure programme will begin during next week and continue into June.

Peter Saville, joint administrator and partner at Zolfo Cooper said: "Recently, Clintons has been faced with extremely challenging trading conditions, particularly in its Birthdays subsidiary, where the combined cost to the Group in terms of acquisition cost and accumulated losses is estimated to have been in excess of £130m since 2004.

"Given the sheer size of the Clinton Cards retail estate and the overall performance, we were left with no alternative to today's difficult decision. I am hopeful that the action we have taken will allow us to preserve value in the core underlying business, thereby allowing us and potential buyers to focus on a profitable and viable retail estate going forward."

Clinton website

Parkgate website

Images: birthdays.co.uk

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News: HMV close Rotherham store

Struggling retailer, HMV has closed their Rotherham store at Parkgate Shopping.

The group operates through over 200 stores, predominantly in the UK, specialising in music, film and games. The Rotherham store also contained a concession from mobile phone operator, Orange.

In 2011 the operating group, which has since sold Waterstone's bookshops, announced that it would close 60 stores as a result of declining sales in "challenging trading conditions."

A notice on the Rotherham store stated that the closure is due to the lease expiring.

For the full year to April 30 2011, group sales had fallen 7.4% and like for like sales were down 11.0%. Profit before tax and exceptional items declined by 61% to £28.9m. The board stated that "operating and financial performance this year has evidently been both disappointing and unsatisfactory."

In the run up to Christmas, total sales for HMV Retail were down 19.4%, including like for like sales down 11.9%. A recent financial update indicated that "For the year to 30 April 2012, HMV expects net debt to be £175-180m and in expectation of continuing challenging conditions believes it is now likely to deliver a slightly larger loss of around £10m for the full year."

In January, the group were forced to arrange new banking facilities, giving the retailer "significantly enhanced headroom" for this year.

HMV Group website

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News: OUTFIT fitout planned for Parkgate

The Arcadia Group, the UK's largest privately owned retail group, are planning to re-brand their Rotherham outlet as an OUTFIT store.

OUTFIT is a chain of out-of-town retail stores offering a wide selection of contemporary, high-street fashion brands, all under one roof.

The new 19,000 sq ft store at Parkgate Shopping will be in the existing Burtons, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Evans unit and Arcadia brands including Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, Oasis and Warehouse will be added to the store.

It is estimated that the store will have an annual turnover of £5.6m and recruitment of staff is underway. Plans have also been submitted for new signage.

OUTFIT launched in Nottingham in 1995 and became part of the Acadia Group in 1999. Over the last five years the business has had a growth rate of 50% and further stores are planned.

The Arcadia Group has more than 2,500 retail outlets and enjoyed a total group pre tax profit of £133.1m for 10/11. They closed their Burtons and Dorothy Perkins store in Rotherham town centre earlier this year.

Discount retailer, Poundland, was the latest store to move to Parkgate Shopping, opening in November and British Land, the owners of park, are also proposing to make some minor amendments to the only vacant unit that is next to the Pure Party outlet.

Electronics retailer, Best Buy is still trading but they announced that it would close their 45,000 sq ft store by the end of the year as part of the decision to close all 11 of their UK stores.

Parkgate was recently named as the third best retail park venue in the UK in rankings released by retail consultancy, Javelin Group.

Arcadia Group website
Parkgate Shopping website

Images: arcadiagroup.co.uk

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