News: Peel Group makes £583m offer for Harworth Group

One of the leading infrastructure, transport and real estate investors in the UK, The Peel Group, has made a cash offer worth £582.88m for Rotherham-based Harworth Group plc, a leading regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment.

The offer is expected to result in "a significant headcount reduction."

Created from what was UK Coal, Harworth Group owns, develops, and manages a portfolio of over 15,000 acres of strategic land over 100 sites located throughout the North of England and Midlands. With a focus on Grade A industrial and logistics (I&L) space and emerging opportunities in the data centre market, the company has a target of £1bn of EPRA NDV - EPRA NDV is how Harworth measures the value of the its assets.

Manchester's The Peel Group is a long-term investor in Harworth, having held various ownership interests in Harworth over a number of years. The Peel Holdings directors believe that Harworth's assets would be best owned, managed and developed under the full control of Peel Holdings.

In its announcement, Peel said that it feels that Harworth's administrative expenses and net interest expenses are too high and increasing, whilst the investment portfolio's passing rental income has decreased. It adds that it expects the EPRA NDV for the first hald of 2026 to be below 31 December 2025 levels following years of increases, and that the NDV target growth rate towards a £1bn valuation is "highly unlikely to be achieved."

The announcement added: "BidCo [Peel] considers Harworth's direct development and hold strategy to be capital-intensive, slow to deliver value and increasingly unable to generate appropriate risk-adjusted returns. As a result, BidCo believes the business should pivot toward strategic land activities and selective development, a model that has a lower cost base and is more effectively executed within a private-company structure."

The largest three shareholders own approximately 75.7% of Harworth's share capital and are being offered a significant premium of 36.9%. to the volume-weighted average share price over the last one-month period.

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Peel would de-list the business from the stock exchange and on jobs, the announcement said: "Following the Offer becoming or being declared unconditional, BidCo expects to review overlapping functions across the Harworth Group, including senior management, corporate, operational, finance, human resources, compliance and other support functions.

"Based on BidCo's preliminary assessment, the Offer is expected to result in a significant headcount reduction and synergies from overlapping functions and the elimination of costs associated with Harworth's status as a listed company. BidCo has not yet determined the number of roles likely to be affected, the timing of any reductions or the specific functions or locations in which any reductions may occur and will provide further information to affected employees in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements."

Harwoth only moved to purpose-built offices at its flagship Waverley development earlier this year. Peel said that it "has not yet determined whether any changes will be made to the location of Harworth's headquarters or headquarters functions, or to the locations of Harworth's other fixed places of business." Any changes will be considered as part of a review into Harworth's assets.

Peel said that it would review Harworth's fixed asset base, including its strategic land bank and investment portfolio, and then intends to accelerate the disposal of selected assets.

Recovery plans for Doncaster-based UK Coal were put in place in May 2011 when the group reported a £124.6m loss and had a £450m pension deficit. The subsequent restructure in 2012 saw the new company, Coalfield Resources, focus on targeting the realisation of its property assets through the Harworth Estates Property Group Limited. Harworth Estates was completely acquired by Coalfield Resources in 2014.

Harworth Group plc grew to be listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.

The developer behind MediaCity in Salford and the Trafford Centre, The Peel Group has a chequered history in South Yorkshire, namely through the purchase and subsequent closure of the region's airports.

Harworth Group website
The Peel Group website

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News: 180,000 sq ft pre-let at AMP in Rotherham

A deal has been struck for a new 180,000 sq ft unit at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham - if approved, it will be the largest unit on what is one of the UK’s leading destinations for advanced manufacturing.

Landowner and master developer, Harworth Group, confirmed the pre-let in its latest trading update.

In its Half Year Trading Update, the leading regeneration, strategic land and development business that has its new HQ alongside the AMP at Waverley in Rotherham, discussed new opportunities for data centres and advanced manufacturing.

Its highlights for the six months to June 30 2026 included deals that have been completed or in legals on three pre-lets for units to be built by Harworth and held in its investment portfolio and are expected to generate £3.7m of rental income a year.

At Gateway 36 in Barnsley, a deal has been signed with for a 30,700 sq ft unit for a logistics operator's new last-mile parcel and postal distribution facility.

A 108,600 sq ft advanced manufacturing facility for an automative parts designer will be built at Chatterley Park, Staffordshire - the first at the development.

And at the AMP, the new 180,000 sq ft unit is for an existing occupier.

Planning documents, seen by Rothbiz, show that Harworth intends to reconfigure a new Plot 1 at the AMP to combine the space granted outline approval for units 1, 6 and 7. An earthworks application would be required before a full planning application for the large unit that would sit between SBD Apparel and Insight Direct.

Overall, with recent deals for Technicut, Vulcan Seals and Danieli, Harworth only has around 200,000 sq ft of the total 2.1 million sq ft of consented development space remaining at the AMP. A completion of the park is expected in 2027.

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Harworth also said that it was progressing a total of 1.5m sq ft of letting and land sale negotiations across the portfolio. Following on from Harworth's first hyperscale data centre transaction, a £106.6m land sale to Microsoft in 2024, the group has identified a second site in its current portfolio.

Due to the scale and strength of opportunities across its industrial & logistics and powered land pipeline, with growing occupier interest, Harworth is now accelerating its reallocation of capital to higher returning opportunities aligned to powered land and industrial growth sectors.

Lynda Shillaw, Chief Executive of Harworth, said: "Harworth specialises in unlocking land at scale, with planning and power secured, and this is key to capturing high-returning development opportunities across the data centre and advanced manufacturing sectors. Our second data centre opportunity that we are highlighting today underlines Harworth's position as one of the most significant regional players in the rollout of the UK's digital infrastructure, working with some of the largest operators in the industry.

"In addition to these opportunities, we have seen strong momentum across our sales and lettings pipeline during the first half and into the second, including the first letting at our 1.1m sq ft Chatterley Park site, to an advanced manufacturer, and a further letting to a national logistics operator at our well-established Gateway 36 development.

"With our unique skillset, extensive land bank and 0.8GW of power connections across our portfolio either conditionally secured or in the pipeline, we are well positioned to accelerate our reallocation of capital to powered land and industrial growth sectors. This in turn will create a simpler, higher-returning platform to deliver sustainable future growth."

Harworth Group website

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News: AMP transformation makes Rotherham a global story

The Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham is described as one of the best examples of economic development in the country, with its impact something you can see, physically and numerically.

A new report from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) has examined Rotherham’s economic transformation over the past two decades, building on a report last year that showed that Rotherham had the fastest-growing sub-regional economy in the North, with a 63.9% increase in productivity between 2004 and 2023.

The latest analysis pinpoints the smaller area that includes the AMP - the site at Waverley developed by Harworth and anchored by the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) which now supports a cluster which brings together businesses like Boeing, Rolls-Royce and McLaren Automotive with world-class research capability.

The report shows that real gross value added (GVA) grew in the AMP area from £111.6m in 2004 to £369.8m in 2022, a 231% increase in real terms, the strongest of any area in the borough by a substantial margin.

In 2022, small-area GVA per employee job in the AMP area reached £79,400 (2022 prices), 50% above the borough average and up 46.5% in real terms since 2015. The report says that this strongly indicates that the AMP is generating high-value economic activity.

Henri Murison, Chief Executive at The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, was talking at a Rotherham Together Partnership event last week about the transformation. He said that his organisation has been intrigued by the borough, saying that there was something "unusual and special about Rotherham."

Murison said: "The AMP economic trajectory is way above the borough, and the normal economy, and you can physically and numerically see the impact."

Situated on the former Orgreave colliery and coking works site, the AMP represents a striking example of economic renewal. An area once synonymous with the challenges of industrial decline, it is now home to one of Europe’s most significant clusters of advanced manufacturing, research and engineering activity.

Murison added: "The AMP is one of the country's best examples of economic development and the commitment by the area's leadership to push forward and prioritise employers like Rolls-Royce has had genuine dividends."

He referenced the collaboration with city neighbours, where the innovation district has expanded over the border from the AMP onto the site of the former Sheffield airport, and said that closing the economic productivity gap with city neighbours, as Rotherham has done, was unusual.

Murison concluded that Rotherham will need to take risks to continue the growth and pointed to the potential of the Don Valley Corridor and new Rotherham Gateway station on the mainline.

He said: "The point is, you have done this before, and when people like us say that you are likely to do it again, investors and people in real estate see this."

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Andrew McPhillips, Chief Economist at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and author of the report, said: “Rotherham has recorded the fastest productivity growth of any major town in the North since 2004, but what is particularly striking is what sits behind that performance.

“Our analysis shows a long-term shift away from traditional heavy industry towards advanced manufacturing, engineering and innovation-led activity centred on the Advanced Manufacturing Park and the wider Don Valley corridor.

“The lesson is not that every place should try to replicate Rotherham exactly, but that through sustained collaboration between universities, businesses, investors and local leaders, we can create the conditions for long-term economic transformation.”

Tom Riordan CBE, Northern Growth Envoy, was also at the Rotherham Together Partnership event. He said: "Rotherham is a global story. It's not just you, it's a story for the North, and the UK - let's use it because this is how you get people working together, this is how you get that flywheel effect."

The former Yorkshire Forward boss also discussed the opportunity with the Don Valley Corridor and new Rotherham Gateway and said that he would continue to be a "friend and ally of Rotherham."

Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “The story of Orgreave and its transformation into something genuinely world‑leading at the Advanced Manufacturing Park to testimony to an extraordinary group of people, but it demonstrates a model which should inspire us for the future.

“Rotherham’s success story over the last decade is perhaps slightly obscured by the fact that hard work was undertaken in the typically determined, resilient but never showy style of our community. As we look towards the next decade of opportunity, the Don Valley Corridor has the potential to be one of the most important growth areas anywhere in the country and an exemplar for the North. This is about forging ahead, building on the lessons of the AMP while making the most of new industries, infrastructure and investment.

“Our plans for Rotherham Gateway, which would bring mainline services back to Rotherham for the first time since the 1980s, we’re looking to go further still, bringing new connections, new employment space and thousands of good-quality jobs closer to our communities.

“This welcome report shows not just how far we’ve come, but what’s possible when we get that long-term partnership right, giving certainty and stability for investment, and building on our strengths. There is much more to do, but with the momentum we have, we should be looking to the future with confidence.”

Northern Powerhouse Partnership website

Images: JPG / AMRC Training / RMBC

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News: Big changes made to Waverley scheme

Waverley in Rotherham, often cited as being Yorkshire's largest ever mixed-use development, may not be as big as originally envisioned, with master developers confirming that over 1,000 less homes will be built at its flagship site.

The changes are in response to "evolving site circumstances, changes in surrounding highway infrastructure, and updated development forecasts."

Harworth Group submitted a planning application for the new community on the site of the former Orgreave Colliery & Coking Works in 2007 and consent was granted in 2011 for 3,890 new homes, alongside over two million sq ft of advanced manufacturing space at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). Following the adoption of the overall masterplan, Harworth has since continued to develop design codes for each area of Waverley along side its housebuilding partners and made changes to aspects of the scheme.

A new updated masterplan submitted to Rotherham Council by Harworth explains that the overall number of homes at Waverley will not reach the original maximum capacity of 3,890 homes.

This then has implications for "trigger points" and other commitments secured through the original planning approval using a Section 106 agreement (a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable). A proposed second school, for example, now looks unlikely to be built.

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The documents, drawn up by planning consultants, Stantec, state: "The original outline consent was based upon the provision of up to 3,890 homes, however due to market changes, design standards and housing needs, the overall homes at Waverley will not reach the modelled maximum capacity (3,890 homes).

"By the completion year of 2036, it is assumed that the residential development at Waverley will be fully completed with a total of 2,783 new homes under the outline consent, along with 254 additional homes at Highfield Commercial, development at the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Highfield Commercial comprising 32,515 sq.m [350,000 sq ft] of additional employment floorspaces and a mix of local centre uses at Olive Lane being open and constructed."

Harworth has already sold 2,727 plots to housebuilders. The AMP is almost full, 1.9m sq ft of commercial space has been built or sold from the 2.1m sq ft consented.

The scheme for Highfield Commercial replaced the original 645,000 sq ft office scheme designed to house government departments relocating out of London. Plans for Olive Lane were scaled back in 2021 after "a contraction in investment in new retail developments following a recession, Brexit and the COVID pandemic."

Developers are now asking to amend transport obligations, where work has already been carried out to J33 of the M1 nearby and relating to a link road that was scrapped after Rotherham and Sheffield Councils could not agree on a route.

The original scheme and legal agreement also included two, two-form entry primary schools. Waverley Primary Academy opened in 2020 and was extended last year.

The latest plans remove reference to a second school.

In its Full Year Results for the year ended 31 December 2025, Harworth Group saw its total revenue drop 29% to £129.8m, down from £181.6m in the previous year, while pretax profit reduced 75% to £14.7m from £69.4m.

Harworth Group website

Images: Harworth

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News: Harworth Group completes new landmark Rotherham HQ

One of the UK's leading land and property regeneration companies, Harworth Group, has confirmed that it has taken the 18,500 sq ft landmark office building that has recently been completed at the listed firm's flagship Waverley site in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 on plans for one of the final parcels of development land at the former Orgreave coal mining site that is Yorkshire’s largest ever mixed-use development and also includes the iconic Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Between the AMP and the housing development is an area known as Highfield Commercial. Close to the AMRC Training Centre, the area includes residential development, a public house, a primary school, the Highwall Park, the mixed use centre known as Olive Lane, and the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

The new two and half storey office building for Harworth forms a landmark building fronting Highfield Spring and has a design centred on the site's past and mining heritage as well as the local steel and development industries.

In an update to the stock exchange, Harworth said that the investment in a new headquarters completed early in 2026, adding that: "alongside creating a fit for purpose sustainable workspace, this enables the future development or sale of our previous head office site and provides an anchor to open up the development of Highfield as one of the final phases of the Waverley site."

Harworth has previously been based in nearby Advantage House.

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The update also confirms that Harworth has sold the McLaren unit at AMP, a Grade A unit it built in 2018 and leased to the supercar manufacturer for its Composites Technology Centre (MCTC). Harworth sold the 75,000 sq ft Rotherham unit has one of five assets totalling 800,000 sq ft for a headline sales value of £47.7m, reflecting a blended net initial yield of 7.6%.

Also on the AMP, Harworth completed an 80,000 sq ft pre-let development to Sheffield-based Technicut, a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance components for the aerospace industry. This advanced manufacturing facility included the incorporation of renewable energy through an innovative green lease structure.

Overall, with recent deals for Technicut, Vulcan Seals and Danieli, Harworth only has around 200,000 sq ft of the total 2.1 million sq ft of consented development space remaining at the AMP. A completion of the park is expected in 2027.

Harworth Group owns, develops, and manages a portfolio of over 15,000 acres of Strategic Land over 100 sites located throughout the North of England and Midlands. With a focus on Grade A industrial and logistics (I&L) space and emerging opportunities in the data centre market, the company says that it is on track for its target £1bn of EPRA NDV - EPRA NDV is how Harworth measures the value of the its assets. Although timeframes have been extended to between end 2028 and end 2029 "to reflect the impact of ongoing macroeconomic weakness and resulting investor and business uncertainty, which has lengthened timings to complete deals."

In its full-year results for the period ending December 31 2025, the group saw its portfolio value grow by 9.1% to £937.2m.

Lynda Shillaw, Chief Executive of Harworth, commented: "I am pleased with the performance of our teams and our operational execution throughout 2025, positioning the portfolio to realise future upside potential and delivering a total property return of 8.4%.

"Harworth is at the intersection of some of the UK's most powerful trends, including data, advanced technologies, reindustrialisation and clean growth. Our land bank provides both strategic levers and optionality to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns, and the Harworth Platform underpinned by our specialist skills and ability to deliver successful serviced land and developments for world-leading businesses is central to stimulating and supporting economic growth in our regions."

Harworth Group website

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News: New housebuilder set for Waverley

Another housebuilder looks set to take on one of the large remaining development plots at the Waverley regeneration site in Rotherham.

At Yorkshire's largest ever brownfield mixed-use development, Harworth Group is transforming the former Orgreave coal mining site in to a new sustainable community that will comprise up to 3,890 homes, shops, restaurants, a primary school, and leisure and community facilities, including 310-acres of green open space.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 on planning approval for 177 dwellings on a plot of land known as Plot 4 or Waverley Railside.

At the time, the applicant was master developer, Harworth Group, but now newly submitted plans relating to the site have come in from Strata.

Strata Homes is a huge regional house builder operating across Yorkshire and the East Midlands. It has Rotherham developments in nearby Catcliffe and has been progressing plans for Kiveton Park.

At Waverley, the Strata site is bound by Highfield Spring to the north, the Sheffield-Worksop-Lincoln railway to the south, and industrial units to the east and west. It is adjacent to the site of a potential Waverley train station.

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With a mix of housing sizes, from 1 bed to 4 bed, the approved plans include 113 affordable housing units on the site (63.8%), including five 4-bed affordable dwellings and 12 1-bed affordable dwellings.

A recently submitted construction management plan states: "Strata aim to commence works on site in Spring 2026 with an expected build programme duration of around 4 years (subject to build and market conditions)."

Strata joins a number of housebuilders on the site where only a few large plots remain undeveloped. These include Avant Homes, Barratt Homes, Sky-House, Harron Homes, Forge New Homes, Honey and Taylor Wimpey.

Strata has previously acquired land for residential development from Harworth in Castleford.

Harworth Group plc is a listed Rotherham-based company. A recent update to the stock exchange stated that it had sold 1,837 total plots, with an additional 155 plots due to complete imminently, despite what it called "residential market weakness" during the financial year.

Strata website
Harworth Group website

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News: Harworth celebrates the expansion of Waverley Primary Academy

Construction was completed at Waverley Primary Academy, the primary school located at Waverley, so that it could expand and welcome additional pupils for the new academic year.

As master developer of Waverley, Harworth Group plc, has provided funding to support the extension of the school, enabling its growth and the creation of additional places for local children. A new form of entry has now been created and the school – which is part of Aston Community Education Trust – can now accommodate up to 200 more pupils overall than in previous years.

Six new classrooms, two libraries, new restrooms, a dedicated nursery with changing rooms and office space have been built across two storeys. The expansion has also created employment opportunities with six new teachers appointed.

Built on the brownfield site of the former Orgreave Colliery, Waverley is a growing community with over 1,800 homes, green spaces and a local high street alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), which is home to leading global businesses.

Harworth worked closely with Rotherham Council and the Department for Education to build the school, which first opened in 2020. Harworth has now provided further funding to enable the delivery of this extension, which was carried out by local firm, O&P Construction.

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Laura Colson, Development Director at Harworth, said: “Waverley Primary Academy is a successful primary school and a real asset to the local area. Harworth is committed to creating a sustainable community at Waverley and this means providing parents and families with access to a great local school for their children.

“We are very pleased that this extension means more pupils can enrol in the school each year, and existing pupils can make use of the brilliant new facilities.

“Harworth has a fantastic relationship with the school and we – and our occupiers at the Advanced Manufacturing Park – regularly run events with pupils. We’re looking forward to continuing to do so and supporting the school’s continued success.”

Rachel Bolton, Principal at Waverley Primary Academy, said: “Watching the expansion of the school over the last year has been exciting for everyone involved and we are thrilled with the result.

“It has been amazing to see pupils embrace the changes to the school. Many children have joined the academy from other schools this September, and all pupils have demonstrated resilience, kindness and enthusiasm, building new friendships and working collaboratively in their learning.

“At Waverley Primary Academy we are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, where every child can thrive. The expansion has strengthened our sense of unity as a school.

“I’d like to thank staff, parents, governors and the wider community for their support over the last year, and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the local community.”

Harworth website
O&P Construction website

Images: Harworth

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News: New Rotherham retail development filling up as dentist next on the waiting list

Changes are being made at a new retail development in Rotherham to enable a dentist to take space that was initially earmarked for offices.

Olive Lane opened earlier this year at Waverley and signing up to the scheme is a Tesco store, vets, nursery and restaurants. A medical centre and community centre are part of the plans.

The urban shopping and leisure development on Highfield Spring, part of Harworth’s complete redevelopment of the former mining site, totals 11 retail units and a medical centre and will serve the current community of more than 2,500 residents and around 1,700 homes, expected to rise to 8,000 people and more than 3,000 homes by 2029.

A planning application has been approved relating to a new build block of commercial units that was sold off by Harworth to developers before work began.

Sky House Co., the Sheffield-based housing developer bringing forward the adjacent Waverley Central scheme, applied to make changes to unit G2. The plans show the building split into three units with one set to be occupied by a dental practice.

The officer's report explains the reasons for the change: "This application now seeks to use Unit G3 as a dentist (use class E e) instead of offices, as this particular Use Class was not listed in the original permission this application seeks approval to allow Unit G3 to be used for that use."

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As previously reported by Rothbiz, the unit was originally earmarked to be the new Sky-House Office headquarters, who at the time of the original application had 30 and 35 members of staff and intended to grow the business. However, since then plans explain that "working practices have altered and continue to evolve such that far more employees now routinely work from home or from other locations."

Sky-House now only require about half the available floorspace to meet their operational requirements in the building which is nearly completely constructed on site.

The report adds: "The applicant also notes that they have been unable to secure demand that would secure commercial use of the unit, however, in contrast there is confirmed market demand from a prospective purchaser to use the unit as a dental practice (Use Class Ee) and to deliver the social and economic benefits for the local community and for Waverley as a whole. They go on to note that there is a national shortage of dentists and access to dental services, as well as within the Waverley area, as such the provision of a dentist would be a community asset.

"The proposed dentist would create ten or more full time jobs as well as approximately ten part time jobs, and customers to the practice would increase footfall to other businesses on Olive Lane."

The plans were approved without going before Rotherham Council's planning board. The planner concluded: "After discussions with Rido [Rotherham Investment & Development Office] it is concluded that there is no demonstrated demand for offices in this location.

"It is therefore not considered that the loss of this office space would have a significant detrimental impact on the supply of office accommodation in this locality or in the Borough as a whole. Additionally, it is noted that the provision of a dentist within the unit would be beneficial to the local community. It has been requested that a condition be attached to ensure that the dentist is an NHS dentist, however it is not considered that this is acceptable."

Rothbiz reported earlier this year on plans that would enable My Dentist (GB) Limited to open at a vacant unit at Parkgate Shopping.

Sky-House Co. website

Images: Harworth

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News: Bookings being taken for new Rotherham hotel

A new team is in place as construction nears completion at a new multimillion pound hotel in Rotherham.

Online bookings have gone live at the Courtyard by Marriott Sheffield at Waverley.

Originally due to open in Spring 2023, work stopped at the site off Highfield Spring and Poplar Way, with master developer, Harworth Group issuing a statement in 2024 regarding "unforeseen challenges" faced by the hotel owner, Stapleford Ventures.

Stapleford Ventures bought the land from Harworth in 2021 and secured planning permission for a six storey, 150 bedroom hotel in the same year. It brought in RBH Hospitality Management to run the operation but the property remained half-built until work recommenced in January 2025.

RBH remains the operator and with a general manager and management team in place, heads of department have now been recruited including a Maintenance Manager, Front Office Manager, Reservations Manager, Food and Beverage Manager and Head Chef.

Current vacancies include Chef de Partie, night team member and F&B team member.



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Reservations can now be made at the 4-star hotel, with the earliest dates for stays being November 1.

Regular rates start from £64 per night.

The hotel is set to include the Aspen restaurant and bar which will serve breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, Sunday lunch and dinner, and cocktails.

The hotel also has a fitness centre and meeting facilities.

Occupying a prominent position at the entrance roundabout to the Waverley development, the hotel will provide an important community asset for use by residents, and businesses at the adjacent Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Courtyard by Marriott website

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News: When will the Waverley development be finished?

The transformation of a former Rotherham coalfield site into a thriving new community is nearing completion.

Harworth Group plc, a leading land and property regenerator of sustainable developments, recently announced record revenue and land sales in 2024 with EPRA NDV up 8.5% year on year. EPRA NDV is how Harworth measures the value of its assets.

The success of Harworth's business model is exemplified at its flagship Waverley site where plots have been sold for 2,578 homes to the likes of Avant, Barratt and Harron, plus local players, Homes by Honey, Forge New Homes and Sky-House Co. 2025 could see detailed approval for the final plots.

The latest update on the regeneration of the former Orgreave coal mining site has a forecast completion date for Harworth's work as 2025 for housing, with its work on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) forecast to complete in 2026.

Approved in 2011, the largest, most complex, planning application ever considered by Rotherham Council gave outline approval for South Yorkshire's largest ever brownfield development, creating a new 3,890 home community across 741 acres. The development proposal also included a hotel and wide range of shops, cafés, health, leisure and educational facilities.

The AMP dates back a little further. In 2002 outline consent was granted for the start of the world-leading site and the University of Sheffield's AMRC with Boeing was created as a key industry-university partnership.

The masterplan, which has been updated a number of times, originally set out that the development would come forward over 20 years.

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Harworth's financial update shows that there are 393 consented or planned housing plots remaining.

Having secured planning permission for the Railside site, at the end of 2024 an application was submitted for land off Rivelin Way, to be known as Lakeview. The proposals state that the site forms the last residential parcel at Waverley to gain reserved matters consent.

Homes by Honey are working with Harworth on the plans which seek consent for site and enabling works and the construction of 67 dwellings including 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom homes. Developers want the required affordable housing provision to be located at the railside site and not the Lakeview site.

At the AMP Harworth's finacial update shows that there has been 1.7 million sq ft of commecial space sold or developed and just 300,000 sq ft remaining (with a Gross Development Value (GDV) of £45m - £55m).

Rothbiz reported in January that Harworth had secured planning approval for a landmark office development between the AMP and the houses in an area known as Highfield Commercial.

2025 also saw the opening of Olive Lane, the urban shopping and leisure development on Highfield Spring which also includes a medical centre and community centre.

When the housebuilders finally finish, the community created could count 8,000 people and more than 3,000 homes by 2029.

Waverley website

Images: Forge New Homes / Facebook / Harworth / Stantec / Harris Partnership / Lindum

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News: Rotherham retail development reaches practical completion with Tesco first to open

Olive Lane, Harworth’s brand new retail development at its flagship site at Waverley in Rotherham has reached practical completion with just over 80% of units under offer or let.

The urban shopping and leisure development on Highfield Spring, part of Harworth’s complete redevelopment of the former mining site, totals 11 retail units and a medical centre and will serve the current community of more than 2,500 residents and around 1,700 homes, expected to rise to 8,000 people and more than 3,000 homes by 2029.

Rothbiz reported last month on the current Olive Lane occupier line up that includes a Medical Centre, the recently opened Tesco, Waverley Community Centre, Specsavers, Little Olives Nursery, Karobar Indian restaurant and Hall Court Vets.

Three units of 1,420 sq ft remain to let, with advanced interest in one.

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Kitty Hendrick, from the Sheffield office of Knight Frank, which is marketing the site, said: “Olive Lane is a really positive story, not only for the Waverley community but for the region.

“We are now just over 80% under offer / let and the units have only just reached Practical Completion, which proves that there is strong demand for retail units in the region, and limited availability.

“We have secured a mix of national and local independent retail and F&B occupiers, including Tesco, and look forward to seeing the scheme up and running once tenants have fitted out.

“There will be something for everyone at Olive Lane and we envisage the scheme to be very popular with high footfall once open.”

Michael Jameson, Senior Asset Manager at Harworth said: “Harworth is delighted to bring Olive Lane to life, a development which will become the new mixed use heart of the Waverley Community. Creating places where people want to live and work is at the heart of what Harworth do and we’re confident that Waverley and Olive Lane delivers on that aim. We hope local residents and workers will enjoy all the amenities the high street has to offer, and are sure the scheme will be a huge success and really bring the community together.”

Plans were approved for the scheme in 2023. It is a scaled back development, much reduced compared to previous iterations.

Waverley website
Harworth website

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News: What is opening at Olive Lane?

The construction of Olive Lane, a retail mixed use development in Rotherham, is targeted for completion this month.

The plans proposed a new high street within the Waverley regeneration site which would incorporate retail, leisure, office, community uses, outdoor events and pop-up market stall spaces. The proposal also includes 50 residential units along with car parking, public realm and an improvement to existing public transport infrastructure.

In a scaling back of the plans, a 16,500 sq ft discount supermarket for the likes of Aldi and Lidl was taken out of the scheme and replaced by a 4,000 sq ft supermarket.

Rothbiz reported last year that Tesco Express would take the largest unit that is at the centre of the scheme which sits between the housing developments at Waverley and the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Lindum Group is the lead contractor for regeneration specialists, Harworth Group.



Harworth has recently confirmed that the current occupier line up includes a Medical Centre, Tesco, Waverley Community Centre, Specsavers, Little Olives Nursery, Karobar Indian restaurant and Hall Court Vets.

A spokesperson from Harworth Group, said: "We know residents will be looking forward to making use of these amenities and enjoying what Olive Lane has to offer to the Waverley community. We are also currently in discussions with several other occupiers for the remaining few units.

"Our intention is for one of the units to be a pharmacy, to complement the medical centre at Olive Lane. We are in discussions with a pharmacy operator and they are currently in the process of securing an NHS license."

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Adjacent to Olive Lane is Sky-House Co's Waverley Central. It features 96 new homes in a series of house types based on the Sheffield house builder's concept inspired by the revival of Victorian and Georgian urban design principles.

The site includes two-bed starter homes, three and four bed mews and town houses and a range of larger detached homes with various tenures, with the first occupants already moving into their completed new homes.

Rebecca Prince, Head of Brand at Sky-House Co, said: "Waverley Central is our biggest development to date and we are delighted that we are now welcoming our first residents.

"Following the success of our two well-established Waverley sites, Waverley Central places us even more firmly at the very centre of the Waverley community."

Harworth has also provided an update on the new Marriott Hotel at Waverley where construction has stalled.

The company said: "While Harworth is the master developer of Waverley, we have not been leading on the development of this hotel. It is instead being constructed by another developer – Stapleford Ventures – which bought the piece of land where the hotel is situated from Harworth in 2021.

"We have been in discussion with Stapleford Ventures in recent months and are pleased to report that it will be resuming works on the hotel in the week commencing 27 January.

"Marriott remains committed to operating the hotel, although we are not yet able to confirm timings for the hotel being operational. We know the community will be looking forward to the hotel opening and will continue to keep residents informed on this."

Harworth website

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News: Rotherham office scheme wins approval

A significant regeneration scheme on remaining land at the Waverley development in Rotherham has been granted planning approval as work continues at the retail scheme nearby.

Rothbiz reported last year on plans by Harworth Group plc, one of the UK's leading land and property regeneration companies, for a landmark office development within their Waverley development.

The listed company is transforming the former Orgreave coal mining site into Yorkshire’s largest ever mixed-use development that also includes the iconic Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Between the AMP and the housing development is an area known as Highfield Commercial. Close to the AMRC Training Centre, it currently includes residential development, a public house, a primary school, the proposed Highwall Park, the under construction new retail led mixed use centre known as Olive Lane, and a hotel which is also under construction - albeit work here has stalled.

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Plans include earthworks that cover 3.89ha to create three serviced development platforms with detailed plans submitted for the fourth plot that shows a 18,500 sq ft, two storey office, complete with 72 car parking spaces and a new landscape proposal that would extend the Highwall Park planned nearby.

The application was approved without the need to go before the planning board.

Planners were impressed with the proposals for the offices, stating: "In design terms the proposed two storey office building is considered to be of a high quality design, which provides a key frontage to the road as well as forming a Landmark corner building.

"The materials are also considered to be of a high quality including stone, Corten steel cladding aluminium framed curtain walling. The high quality design would provide a positive contribution to the visual appearance of the locality."

The design of the building has been centred on the site's past and mining heritage, as well as the local steel and development industries.

At Olive Lane, contractors, Lindum, continue work on the new high street within Waverley which would incorporate retail, leisure, office, community uses, outdoor events and pop-up market stall spaces.

Tesco has signed up for the scheme with an opticians and pharmacy also interested in taking space alongside a medical centre and community building.

Waverley website

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News: Plans approved for houses at Waverley Railside

The planning board at Rotherham Council has voted to approve an application for one of the remaining plots of land at the massive Waverley development in Rotherham.

At Yorkshire's largest ever brownfield mixed-use development, Harworth Group is transforming the former Orgreave coal mining site in to a new sustainable community that will comprise up to 3,890 homes, shops, restaurants, a primary school, and leisure and community facilities, including 310-acres of green open space.

177 dwellings are proposed for a plot of land known as Plot 4 or Waverley Railside.

The site is bound by Highfield Spring to the north, the Sheffield-Worksop-Lincoln railway to the south, and industrial units to the east and west (Pasuda and the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP)).

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As plans progress for housing on the site, a potential Waverley train station is also being progressed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA). This would be potentially located next to this site on the Sheffield-Worksop-Lincoln line and be centred on the existing railway bridge which would be upgraded to provide access for all users of the potential new railway hub.

With a mix of housing sizes, from 1 bed to 4 bed, the planning board heard that 113 affordable housing units are to be provided on the site (63.8%), including five 4-bed affordable dwellings and 12 1-bed affordable dwellings.

Jane Beckett, associate director at Barton Wilmore, presented the plans to the planning board on behalf of Harworth Group. She told the board that the plans "deliver much needed affordable housing - a mix of size and tenure will all help to contribute to that affordable provision needed locally. We've tried to work with officers, not to argue about viability, to make sure we are achieving the 21% overall on site."

A number of objections were received but planners concluded that: "The proposed development adequately addresses how the development does not affect the amenity of any existing nearby residents, and that the amenity of the future residents will also be acceptable" given the location near to the road and railway line.

Waverley website

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News: Local firm to build Rotherham school extension

The lead contractor has been named for a £3m school extension construction project in Rotherham.

A planning application was approved in June for the extension at Waverley academy on the Waverley estate which is in Rotherham.

The trigger within the S106 Agreement for Harworth Group's large brownfield development has been reached and a financial contribution has been paid to Rotherham Council to enable the extension to be funded and constructed. The authority has secured £3.131m for the project.

Wath-based O&P Construction Services Ltd has secured the contract.

With a total value of £1,893,781, the contract is set to run 40 weeks ensuring that the school can re-open in September 2025.

O&P began back in 1971 and now turn over £20m of projects a year. Education projects include projects in Rotherham such as those at Wath Victoria and Swinton Academy.

The original Waverley school was completed by Geo. Houlton & Sons Ltd in 2020 at a cost of £7m and when the school was originally designed it was done so taking into account that it would be extended to provide a third form.

The plans include six Key Stage 1 and 2 classrooms (three on each floor) along with two library/group rooms (one on each floor) and ancillary toilet facilities. A new nursery room will enable the relocation of the existing nursery room, with associated staff office, storage and extended corridor and entrance. The existing nursery is to become the additional reception classroom.

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Council minutes state: "Waverley Junior Academy opened in September 2020 in response to need created for primary school places by a new housing development. It was originally developed as a 2-form entry school, providing 60 places per year group, with the potential for expansion if needed. The school was oversubscribed and this trend was set to continue in future years. Projections based on the pupil yield created during the development indicated that the expansion by creation of a third form of entry would be required to meet need across the local area in September 2025.

"It had been possible to utilise capacity in other schools across the planning area to meet demand to date and it was anticipated that this would remain the case for entry in 2024. Beyond this time the capacity at schools within a reasonable distance would not be sufficient to meet projected demand. The expansion of Waverley Junior Academy was anticipated to meet growing demand for school places across the planning area as a result of new development on the Waverley development and was, therefore, not projected to impact the overall capacity in local schools.

"Under the Section 106 Agreement with the developer, Harworth Group would pay on request to the Council the sum of £2.945m, subject to the Building Cost Information Service index, on occupation of between 1,500-1,700 dwellings. This threshold had now been met with 1,600 dwellings occupied and the amount payable based on the November 2023 forecast was £3,131m."

O&P website

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News: AMP move for Insight Direct confirmed

Harworth, a leading regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment, has confirmed the letting of a recently completed, Grade-A Industrial & Logistics building at its Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, to Insight, the solutions and systems integrator.

Rothbiz reported back in 2023 that planning permission had been secured to enable Insight, a Fortune 500 IT firm, to operate from the AMP.

Focused on driving client success through digital transformation, the principal activity of the company is the provision of technology solutions including hardware, software and services to business and public sector clients.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of American firm, Insight Enterprises Inc., Insight Direct UK is a leading provider of brand-name IT to large enterprises, small to medium-sized businesses and public sector institutions, principally in the UK.

Insight has agreed a 15-year lease for the 73,000 sq ft unit, which reached practical completion earlier this month. It will serve as a major European Solutions Integration Centre for Insight, bringing together a number of operational processes under one roof, including distribution, technology lab services and agile office space.

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Insight has operated from a technology campus created in a converted former nightclub next to Sheffield Arena for over 15 years with part of the premises used as a distribution facility for the sale of IT equipment.

The integration centre's main activity is to asset tag and store client equipment during their own IT refresh. Insight's focus is around adding value to the services and solutions to their client base which includes some high profile public sector bodies such as the NHS.

Jonathan Haigh, Chief Investment Officer at Harworth Group, said: “Insight is a global leader in its field and its decision to choose Harworth’s Advanced Manufacturing Park to support its expansion plans is testament to the quality of space on offer, and appeal of the location.

"The AMP has established itself as an international centre of excellence for advanced manufacturing with its designation as part of the UK Government’s first Investment Zone, and we are proud to have played a role in its creation. We continue to focus on delivering high quality Industrial & Logistics schemes across the Midlands and the North of England in undersupplied markets where we are seeing strong demand from a wide range of businesses.”

0.2 million sq. ft. of Industrial & Logistics space has now practically completed so far this year on the AMP, a major hub for manufacturing in the UK, and home to global businesses such as Boeing and Rolls-Royce, as well as the UK Atomic Energy Authority and McLaren Automotive Composites Technology Centre.

Construction of a new 80,000 sq ft headquarters for Technicut, a specialist tool cutting manufacturer, is currently on site, with a further 0.4 million sq ft of consented developable space available at the AMP. This will be ideally suited for a range of businesses seeking to upgrade or expand their existing facilities.

Insight Direct UK website

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News: Harworth makes £43.7m purchase adjacent to AMP

Harworth, a leading regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment, has completed the acquisition of Catalyst, a 285,000 sq ft, Grade A, urban logistics estate in Rotherham.

The £43.7m purchase price reflects a net initial yield of 5.4%.

The asset, completed in 2023, is strategically located adjacent to Harworth's own head office and its flagship industrial development and major UK manufacturing hub, the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). Harworth said that the acquisition delivers an extension to the AMP which now benefits from a highly prominent, extensive frontage on both sides of the Sheffield Parkway and its excellent arterial connectivity provides access to a vast labour pool.

Comprising of five units, the scheme is currently 90% let to a diverse range of occupiers including Octopus Energy which has taken 91,923 sq ft to use the warehouse for its Octopus Energy Services part of the business which is spearheading the transition to greener, cheaper energy through the installation of in-home technologies.

Harworth is confident of securing a letting for the final 28,000 sq ft and when fully let the scheme will generate £2.5m of annualised rent. The acquisition provides an opportunity to implement tailored asset management initiatives and deliver additional value across the wider AMP, where Harworth continues to see strong demand from occupiers, and rents have recently exceeded £10 per sq ft.

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The acquisition is in line with Harworth's strategy to grow its Investment Portfolio to £0.9 billion by the end of 2029 and transition its core portfolio to 100% Grade A by 2027. Following this acquisition, alongside practical completion of a further 73,000 sq. ft. of Industrial & Logistics space at the AMP earlier this month, the Group's Investment Portfolio will total 2.8 million sq ft of which 45% is Grade A.

Lynda Shillaw, Chief Executive of Harworth, said: "This acquisition, the largest of an Industrial & Logistics investment asset in Harworth's history, aligns with our strategy to grow our high-quality Investment Portfolio. It also continues our track record of strategic site assembly, providing an opportunity to extend the AMP, further establishing it as one of the leading manufacturing and distribution centres in the region.

"Increased direct development and the retention of Grade A Industrial & Logistics assets across our major sites, supplemented by select, income producing acquisitions, is core to our strategy, whilst we will also look to recycle properties where value has been maximised through completed asset management initiatives."

Harworth recently ascended to the FTSE 250 Index - a group of mid-cap blue chip companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Since re-listing as Harworth in 2015, the Group has grown its Statutory Net Assets by 137%. It consistently reports that it is on course in its strategy to reach £1 billion EPRA NDV by the end of 2027.

Harworth website

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News: National retailer takes unit at new Rotherham development

The anchor tenant for the long-awaited mixed-use scheme which is set to form the heart of the community at the Waverley development in Rotherham looks set to be a national retailer.

Olive Lane proposes a new high street within Waverley which would incorporate retail, leisure, office, community uses, outdoor events and pop-up market stall spaces. The proposal also includes 50 residential units along with car parking, public realm and an improvement to existing public transport infrastructure.

In a scaling back of the plans, a 16,500 sq ft discount supermarket for the likes of Aldi and Lidl was taken out of the scheme and replaced by a 4,000 sq ft supermarket.

Particulars for the scheme now show that the unit is no longer just "under offer" but it is shown as being a Tesco Express.

Express is the name for Tesco's smallest stores, launching in 1994 and designed for maximum convenience, allowing customers to buy fresh, quality food close to home or work.

Tesco has also recently submitted planning aplications for signage, automatic doors, a cash machine and ventilation at the unit that is at the centre of the scheme which sits between the housing developments at Waverley and the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

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Rothbiz recently reported on the progress being made on site by Lindum Group, the lead contractor for regeneration specialists, Harworth Group.

Following an agreement with NHS England and Rotherham Council, Lindum also began construction of the site’s £3m two-storey medical centre in February, which is set to be handed over in October.

Olive Lane is due for completion in November and as well as the convenience store, it will include cafes and restaurants and public realm and landscaping.

Sky-House and Forge New Homes are building new homes at the Olive Lane scheme. Sky-House Co., the Sheffield company that is pioneering 21st century back-to-back housing at Waverley, announced that it will relocate its HQ and 30 jobs to office space at Olive Lane. The company also said that a new concept from the innovative food entrepreneuers behind Sheffield's JÖRO Restaurant would also take space.

Waverley Community Council is expected to help create a community hub on Olive Lane in one of the larger units and the latest marketing brochure from Knight Frank and Fox Lloyd Jones shows that seven of the ten remaining units are already under offer.

Olive Lane website

Images: Knight Frank / Fox LLoyd Jones

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News: Olive Lane development taking shape

Progress is being made in the delivery of a new retail development and medical centre at Waverley in Rotherham.

Lindum Group is the lead contractor for regeneration specialists, Harworth Group on Olive Lane, a shopping area that will feature convenience stores, cafes and restaurants and public realm and landscaping that is due for completion in November this year.

A new medical centre is planned and Forge New Homes is also building new homes on the site that sits between the housing developments at Wavereley and the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Following an agreement with NHS England and Rotherham Council, Lindum also began construction of the site’s £3m two-storey medical centre in February, which is set to be handed over in October.

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Chris Fraser, project manager for Lindum, said: “Works have progressed well. The steel frames for three of the four buildings have been erected, with the frame for the remaining building due to erected in mid-July.

“Two of the buildings are now having superstructure brickwork erected, with the third being started in two weeks.

“Scaffolding is due to be erected ready for roofing works in the coming weeks for the first building and will be progressively erected for the remaining buildings within two months to allow doors and windows to go in at the end of summer for watertightness.

“Drainage works are ongoing and will be complete in mid-July. Section 38 roadworks have been installed ready for sign off as adoptable highways.

“By the end of the summer we will be building up levels ready for external works such as landscaping and paving.”

Ben Marris, contracts manager for the medical centre at Lindum added: “Works in the summer will consist of installing the roof build-up, external masonry façade, internal walls and ceilings and M&E.”

Lindum has previously handed over three industrial units on the AMP, with another currently under construction.

Rothbiz revealed that the first tenants to show interest in Olive Lane includes a new concept from the innovative food entrepreneuers behind Sheffield's JÖRO Restaurant, and Sky-House Co., the Sheffield company that is pioneering 21st century back-to-back housing at Waverley, that plans to relocate its HQ and 30 jobs to office space sitting above the new venture from JÖRO.

Waverley website
Lindum website

Images: Lindum / Harworth

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News: Harworth submit plans for new "landmark" office at Waverley in Rotherham

Harworth Group plc, one of the UK's leading land and property regeneration companies, has submitted a planning application for a landmark office development within their Waverley development in Rotherham.

The plans hint that Harworth could be the occupiers themselves.

The listed company is transforming the former Orgreave coal mining site into Yorkshire’s largest ever mixed-use development that also includes the iconic Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

At the AMP. over 1.7m sqft has been constructed (or under construction) to date with around 250,000 sq ft remaining that can be accommodated across three plots. Over 1,700 homes, ranging from apartments to five bedroom family homes, have been build by a wide range of housebuilders since 2012.

Between the AMP and the housing development is an area known as Highfield Commercial. Close to the AMRC Training Centre, it currently includes residential development, a public house, a primary school, the proposed Highwall Park, the under construction new retail led mixed use centre known as Olive Lane, and a hotel with is also under construction - albeit work as stalled.

Harworth has now set out how remaining land could be divided into four development plots.

For one of the development plots, plans show an 18,500 sq ft, two storey office, complete with 72 car parking spaces and a new landscape proposal that would extend the Highwall Park planned nearby.

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The plans, drawn up by Stantec for Harworth Estates Investments Limited, state: "The development proposes a two and half storey office building which will form a landmark building fronting Highfield Spring. The proposals provide a modern innovative building constructed from Corten and glazing with natural stone elements. The proposals will provide a headquarters and hub for the occupier who require a new office and central facility for their company. The design of the building has been centred on the sites past and mining heritage as well as the local steel and development industries."

The plans explain that the proposed occupier is a development company and employs many consultant teams but adds that meeting rooms could be "occupied by non-Harworth consultants that would be visiting for project meetings."

Harworth has an ambitious growth strategy to be a £1bn business by 2027. It employs over 100 people across four offices at Rotherham (Head Office), Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester.

The development includes a comprehensive earthworks scheme covering 3.89ha comprising efficient ground remodelling to create four development plateaus across the site.

New service roads, drainage systems and landscaping proposals are included in the application.

The site was earmarked large Government office campus scheme that was approved over a decade ago but never got off the ground. The plans state that: The site has been marketed for use; however suitable policy compliant uses have not been forthcoming in demand. It is therefore considered that providing serviced development plots ready for development and having an innovative and inspiring office proposal on the Site will attract more interest from potential occupiers for future use."

Utilising brownfield land, the applicants conclude that: "the proposed development is an approved use within an allocation representing an acceptable development supported by local and national planning policy which will pave the way attracting further development to Waverley and offering a significant boost to the office market."

Waverley website
Harworth website

Images: Harworth / Stantec / Harris Partnership

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