A disused office building in Rotherham town centre is set for a new lease of life as developers secure a loan from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
Plans to convert 14 - 16 Ship Hill into 13 flats were approved by the Council earlier this year. Now Maya Property Developments has secured the backing from the HCA that will enable the works to be carried out.
The HCA is the Government's housing, land and regeneration agency, and the regulator of social housing providers in England. The £3 billion Home Building Fund is Government finance to increase the number of new homes being built in England.
Maya Property Developments is a new SME developer which is looking to build up a rental property portfolio in the north of England.
The 1,754 sq ft property, previously home to Morthyng Training in the professional services area of the town, was sold for an undisclosed sum by Rotherham's leading commercial property agents, Burgess Commercial, in 2016.
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A spokesperson for the HCA, said: "The loan investment will unlock the supply of 13 new apartments in a former office building located in Ship Hill, central Rotherham and will support wider regeneration of the local area. This development brings a modern rental product to central Rotherham which is being aimed at young professionals."
"This development represents a clear example of the kind of scheme that The Home Building Fund seeks to support and we look forward to building our relationship with Maya Property Developments to support them in their future activities."
The deal pre-empted the publication of the new Rotherham town centre masterplan that places a greater emphasis on town centre living and leisure, as opposed to traditional retail uses. Town centre living is seen as critical to sustaining the long term health of the town centre and is important in achieving around the clock vitality and vibrancy and Rotherham Council has identified that the town centre has the land available to deliver 2,000 new homes.
A conversion of a former Norton Finance office on Mansfield Road into flats was one of the more recent housing projects in the town. Plans have been approved or submitted for residential uses in buildings on Moorgate Street and Wellgate, and a £10m scheme is progressing for a courtyard residential development with vibrant retail, leisure, and hospitality space at Westgate Chambers.
A further £32m funding via the HCA was secured by Rotherham Council from the Government's £1.2 billion Starter Homes Land Fund.
As construction gets underway on speculative industrial property on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, plans have been submitted for the next phase of offices and workshops.
The AMP is the UK's premier advanced manufacturing technology park. Businesses on the park already provide world-class technology solutions for use in precision industries, including aerospace, defence, construction, automotive, sport and others.
Landowners, The Homes & Communities Agency (HCA), which took on the assets from Yorkshire Forward, has submitted a planning application for the next phase of development at the AMP Technology Centre which features workshop and office accommodation incorporated into a new rectangular three storey, 26,000 sq ft building.
On land on Highfield Spring between the current tech centre and Dormer's facility, the building would provide double height workshops with mezzanines floors and office accommodation situated across all three floors.
The plans have been put together by consultants, Barton Wilmore and will need to gain approval from planners who are guided by national policies that state that offices should be located in town centres.
In addition, the office floor area comprises approximately 31% of the total floorspace. In comparison, the council believes that to be regarded as ancillary in nature the office use is required to be no more than 25% of the total floorspace of the development.
The plans state: "The current mixture of office, light industrial and general industrial uses at the AMP as a whole has been part of the reason why the AMP has been a success for the local area and has helped underpin economic development in this part of South Yorkshire. It is therefore vital that going forward, an appropriate mix of these uses is maintained in order that the success is continued and the AMP is able to attract high value companies; especially in the face of other nearby competing sites such as the recently approved Sheffield Business Park."
The current building, made up of two previous phases, is home to leading names such as Rolls-Royce and Materialise plus growing firms such as PES and Iceotope. Operators believe that the flexible space on site leads to effective "clustering" where there are 18 companies that collaborate with each other for mutual benefit in the AMP Technology Centre alone.
The building has been designed by architects, Aedas, to create a "striking statement building that displays a simple and refined architectural style."
The AMP is part of the 740 acre Waverley development that is being brought forward by Harworth Estates on the site of the former Orgreave colliery. They estimate that the 150 aces of employment land will help to create up to 3,500 pioneering new jobs. The AMP will support up to 2.5 million square feet of accommodation and currently 1 million sq ft has been completed.
The latest project to get underway is 52,000 sq ft of speculative industrial development. Part of R-evolution, two new, steel-frame industrial units are under construction (pictured) thanks to a forward-purchase agreement with Rotherham Council for £4.3m and a £2.7m loan from the Sheffield City Region Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA) Fund.
Also part of the R-evolution development, plans have been submitted by Nikken for its new facility and the adjacent plot has been taken by Maher.
CBRE is looking after the innovative £23m infrastructure and property fund and its building consultancy team is monitoring the progress on the AMP.
Ben Rennocks, director of building consultancy at CBRE's Leeds office, said: "The AMP has a strong reputation as being one of the region's most pioneering developments and it is easy to see why occupiers are keen to become part of the tenant mix.
"The recent pre-let deals indicate the current appetite for industrial accommodation so the decision to speculatively develop the new units is a measured one and offers a show of confidence for the whole regional property sector."
Construction of Units 3 & 4 is scheduled to be completed in October 2014.
The AMP Technology Centre in Rotherham recently celebrated the seventh anniversary of the official opening, when the then-named Innovation & Technology Centre was opened by three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sir Jackie Stewart.
Providing incubation space on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, the centre has been designed to accommodate a range of manufacturing-related activities, from fledgling engineering and technology companies, to University spin-offs and subsidiaries of established companies.
Over the seven years it has attracted companies and organisations who saw strategic value in locating in close proximity to other companies and research organisations at the AMP as a mechanism for encouraging and promoting collaboration, and also larger UK and overseas owned companies looking to work with AMP-based partners, prior to fully committing towards a presence on the park.
Over the years an array of products and technological developments have being developed here; from ground-breaking liquid cooling systems for IT data centres, and the latest high-end audio hi-fi equipment, to parts for concept cars shown by leading car manufacturers, and winter sports equipment, used by numerous nation's athletes in international competitions and the Winter Olympics.
The Centre has also welcomed a number of VIP visitors over the years, including members of the Royal Family, Government Ministers, the Governor of the Bank of England, captains of industry, and even the crew from TV's The Gadget Show.
Conferences and events have been an important part of the Centre's activities, and again the range and quality of these has been outstanding. All the major advanced manufacturing related industries have been represented at events within the Technology Centre, including; aerospace, motorsport, low carbon energy, defence, medical technologies, oil & gas and automotive.
Simon Spode, marketing manager at the AMP, said: "The AMP Technology Centre has certainly lived up to its potential in the last seven years, and continues to fulfil its original vision. We have a number of successful companies developing innovative, potentially world-beating technologies, and some companies have expanded out of the Centre into other larger units on the AMP and elsewhere, employing more staff and growing further. Of course not every company has been successful but for those that weren't, the Technology Centre provided a safe, cost-effective environment for their product/service concept to be trialled.
"We fully expect more of the same in the coming years, as some of our current star companies expand and outgrow the facilities, and other new companies come in – many developing new technologies that will innovative and disrupt the current thinking in high performance industries and continue to keep the AMP at the forefront of innovative advanced manufacturing technology."
Initially developed by Yorkshire Forward, the AMP Technology Centre is now operated by Creative Space Management on behalf of the Homes and Communities Agency.
Paul Taylor, director of Creative Space Management, said: "The AMP Technology Centre acts as a hub building for the wider park and plays an important role in providing facilities for smaller high growth companies. With occupancy now at 90% and with 50 innovative businesses being based there we are proud to have played a part in its growth."
With the centre enjoying its highest occupancy levels since it opened, the new year will see a refurbishment programme of the reception and meeting / conference facilities to ensure that the Centre remains at the leading edge of technology. The recent announcement that the Centre's hydrogen mini-grid system is to be run by a partnership led by ITM Power will see the facility at the heart of the UK's proposed hydrogen network.
Rotherham-based Ron Hull Demolition is carrying out the job of demolishing the historic pithead baths at Kiveton Park Colliery.
The Rotherham colliery closed in 1994 when 800 miners were left without work. Since then, there has been much debate of the use of the grade II listed buildings that were paid for by the miners themselves.
With the transfer of ownership to the government's Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), a planning application for demolition was approved last year as it was considered a liability, unfit for alternative use and suffering from decline and disrepair for 18 years.
Built in 1938, the structure was finally taken down in just a matter of days. The last part to go was the landmark water tower.
David Wall, contracts director with Ron Hull Demolition, said: "As part of our preparation work on the site we did save everything of historic interest including the huge Royal Doulton troughs that were used when the miners filled their water bottles before going underground, as well as various signs and other fixtures and fittings. They are going to several mining museums and collections.
A former Kiveton miner, 75-year-old George Smith, was re-united with the door of locker 927, which he was allocated almost half a century ago when he started work at the pit.
David added: "The demolition itself has been very straightforward. The buildings have all been brought down and the clear up operation is now underway.
"Brickwork, concrete and rubble is being crushed on the site, a process that we are expecting to complete in another week or so.
"Meanwhile metal, timber and other materials are being moved to the Ron Hull Group's recycling centre in Rotherham, which is one of the most advanced facilities of its type in the country. It is a zero-to-landfill operation, so absolutely nothing is wasted."
There are no proposals yet to redevelop the site once it is cleared.
Acting on behalf of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the Industrial Agency team at CBRE Leeds has brought a major development opportunity in Rotherham to the market.
17.56 hectares of employment development land is available on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery. It is the second phase of the highly successful regeneration of the 34 hectare site that has created over 40,000 sq m of employment space created.
The HCA, the national housing and regeneration agency for England, recently sold a 1.10 hectare Dinnington plot at auction, with a 0.67 hectare plot, the last remaining from phase one.
The area is a popular business location and inward investors include Johnston Press, who invested £60m in a state of the art printing facility. Leading companies on the park include construction experts, Macalloy; Assured Fire and Security; Marussia Manor Racing; and innovative security company, Connexion2.
In addition, work is well underway on the £14.7m transport scheme to upgrade the A57 from junction 31 of the M1 to Todwick crossroads.
The HCA took ownership of the site following the demise of Yorkshire Forward. It estimates that 620 jobs have been created so far and expects 2,408 jobs to be created as the scheme progresses.
It is one of three sites that CBRE is marketing on behalf of the HCA. Dave Cato, associate director at CBRE Leeds' Industrial Agency team, said: "The three HCA sites all provide significant development opportunities for any interested parties, a fact evidenced in the early interest in all three sites.
"The sites are a positive addition to the industrial development opportunities currently on the market and we can disclose pricing upon request."
Gleeson Homes will be able to make use of £2.226m loan funding secured from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to start work on its housing development at Swinton in Rotherham.
Gleeson's proposed development on the former Croda Bitumen Site was placed on a shortlist of 224 schemes bidding for the Get Britain Building Fund.
The money will now be made available once the council confirm that the site has been remediated and a validation certificate has recently been submitted.
Craig Johns, area manager at the HCA said: "The development at Carlisle Park offers a real choice of quality homes to local residents where they want to live at a price they can afford. Our investment will ensure that a local firm will provide these homes which will help safeguard jobs in South Yorkshire."
Steve Gamble, land director at Gleeson Homes Group, added: "We are delighted that Carlisle Park is part of Get Britain Building. The programme will help us to deliver the first tranche of 125 new homes from an overall scheme of 381 properties which are built and priced to suit local people.
"The project will also have a positive effect of the wider community with the creation of new jobs, apprenticeship opportunities for local young people and investment back into the local area."
The Woodford Group were bringing the former industrial site in Kilnhurst forward as a housing development in 2006, but the plans were eventually put on hold when the Woodford Group decided not to continue their interest in the site.
Gleeson Homes & Regeneration had a conditional contract to purchase the site subject to planning and have recently secured outline planning permission for 381 two, three and four bed family dwellings.
Remediation will include removing foundations, soft lime waste, and "grossly contaminated areas of made ground" plus the stabilisation / solidification treatment of soil, the installation of a high performance engineered capping layer and the protection of the River Don.
The HCA cash will cover just the first 125 houses of the development and the first home will be completed by March 2013 with a sales office opening from January next year.
The regeneration of Dinnington colliery in Rotherham has made it into a Top 100 list put together by a leading industry magazine.
The Top 100 Regeneration Projects 2012 includes development schemes in the UK that are receiving over £10 billion of investment. They are separated from straight property development by having input from the public sector or public investment.
The £123m Dinnington project centres on the industrial-led regeneration of the former colliery. The whole site has been successfully reclaimed and the first phase of development has been completed with over 40,000 sq m of employment space created.
Work began in 2000 on the £14m reclamation project which saw the 85 hectare site eventually developed to provide ares for industrial, business and mixed use and large areas of Urban Green Space. The site reclamation won prestigious national environment awards for the way bioremediation was used to clean 30,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil.
The Dinnington Business Park has transformed the area into an established business location. Inward investors include Johnston Press, who invested £60m in a state of the art printing facility (pictured, above).
Leading companies on the park include construction experts, Macalloy; Assured Fire and Security; Marussia Manor Racing; and innovative security company, Connexion2.
The site is also home to the Matrix @ Dinnington business centre (pictured, right). Operated by Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RIDO), the regeneration arm of Rotherham Council, the £3.4m incubation centre provides high quality office and workshop facilities, ideal for start-up businesses.
The sinking of Dinnington Colliery began in 1902 and coal started to be raised in 1905. By 1911 the colliery was providing employment for 2,000 people. It closed in 1992 resulting in 1,000 job losses.
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the national housing and regeneration agency for England, which owns the site, estimates that 620 jobs have been created so far and expects 2,408 jobs to be created as the scheme progresses.
To move the scheme forward, the HCA recently put 17.86 hectares at Dinnington up for sale for commercial use under their property and regeneration programme. They expected the fully services plots to be sold during the first quarter of this year.
Pat Ritchie, chief executive of the HCA, said: "As this year's Top 100 demonstrates, regeneration delivery across the country is still strong and there are still resources to be tapped and different approaches to be taken.
"But we mustn't underestimate the challenges of continuing this success – a lot less funding from the public and private sector against a backdrop of continuing challenging economic conditions which is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
"Our best response will be a flexible approach through a mix of grant, investment, and the maximum use of public assets, while working with local authorities and other public and private sector partners. It is this locally led and integrated approach which will best use scare resources and capacity against agreed local priorities."
A housing development in Rotherham has been shortlisted for millions of pounds of funding as part of a government scheme aimed at kick-starting stalled building projects.
Gleeson's proposed development on the former Croda Bitumen Site at Swinton is on a shortlist of 224 schemes bidding for the Get Britain Building Fund, administered by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The government hopes that the £570m fund will pave the way for up to 16,000 new homes and supporting over 30,000 construction jobs and more in supply chains.
The fund was three times over-subscribed and the HCA shortlisted the strongest bids from nearly 400, based on value for money, how quickly they will be delivered and the level of local support.
The successful bids will now be thoroughly assessed through due diligence before funding is allocated and formal contracts can be signed.
Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "Housebuilding is absolutely vital for delivering more growth in the economy, yet hundreds of shovel-ready housing developments have been put on ice, because builders lack funds to get work going on site.
"The £570m Get Britain Building Fund will help end the deadlock by getting construction back on track for up to 16,000 homes across the country. Already some of our key sites are on track to get started next month, and many more of the 224 projects shortlisted today will be up and running from June, helping to cement our economic recovery."
Get Britain Building is intended to address difficulties in accessing development finance faced by some house builders and to help bring forward sites with planning permission, but where viability is marginal, by sharing risk. It will operate by making loans available to projects on commercial rates, or taking equity stakes to share risk. The investment is recoverable over a two to five year period, and by March 2018.
The Woodford Group were bringing the former industrial site in Kilnhurst forward as a housing development in 2006, but the plans were eventually put on hold when the Woodford Group decided not to continue their interest in the site.
Gleeson Homes & Regeneration have a conditional contract to purchase the site subject to planning and applied for outline planning permission for 381 two, three and four bed family dwellings last year. The HCA cash will cover just the first 125 houses of the development.
Great Places Housing Group is looking to build on their successful housing developments in Rotherham after securing £4.9m from the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) Affordable Homes Programme.
The housing association submitted a bid to the HCA for grants to build 189 much-needed new homes in Rotherham and Sheffield that will be available for both affordable home ownership and affordable rent.
It has also helped to secure £35m to build 1,562 homes over the next four years across the north west – one of the largest allocations in the region.
Stephen Porter, chief executive at Great Places, said: "Our allocation will allow us to fulfil the need for quality affordable housing and provide people with real homes for the future. For Great Places this is fabulous news and will help us continue to grow and be successful in this difficult economic climate."
Naz Parkar, head of area at the Homes and Communities Agency, added: "This is great news, bringing quality new homes to the area. It is one of a series of major new contracts which create new homes and boost the local economy, as well as delivering excellent value for public money."
The first development for Great Places in Rotherham was the £2m scheme on the corner of Hollowgate and Moorgate close to the town centre. Completed last year by Richardson Projects Ltd, part of the ROK group, it created 22 one and two-bedroom flats with solar panels and glass balconies.
Construction work is currently underway on a second development for Great Places in Rotherham town centre. The scheme on the site of the former Cinema House and bingo hall on Doncaster Gate (pictured top) will create 20 apartments across four floors. It is due to be completed next year.
Further assets in Rotherham will be transferred from Yorkshire Forward to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The government announced in July that RDA land and property assets would be transferred to HCA, with local communities and businesses involved in decisions about future development plans. This will maximise the long-term benefits to economic growth and regeneration in local areas.
Rotherham assets on the latest list include the Advanced Manufacturing Park Technology Centre and EETC wings on The Advanced Manufacturing Park, Centurian Business Park (Pumping Station) at Templeborough, Brooklands Park at Dinnington, Hellaby Industrial Estate at Hellaby and Thurcroft.
Pat Ritchie, chief executive of the HCA, said: "Today's announcement marks a key milestone in the RDA land and property asset transfer to the HCA. We look forward to the completion of this process, and building on our existing relationships with local partners to deliver the best outcome for local communities through future development and disposal of the former RDA assets."
In July, The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that it would retain the AMP Technology Centre. In a written Ministerial statement, the government identified the AMP Technology Centre as having national importance and stated that it will be retained within central Government in order to be developed further to support investments in innovation and technology.
As part of the transfer, the Government is to establish a stewardship arrangement and contract the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to manage the asset.
Coalfield land owned by Yorkshire Forward transferred to the HCA earlier this year - employment land at Dinnington Colliery and Roundwood Colliery plus the former pit head baths and associated land at Kiveton Colliery.
The leasehold of former offices at Renaissance House in Manvers is also to be transferred to the HCA under a stewardship model. In addition, Plot 4 at the AMP and the Tarmac Site, Wath Upon Dearne were released for disposal on the open market last April.
The transfer is currently planned to take effect on 19 September 2011.
Land at former coalfields in Rotherham has been transferred from Yorkshire Forward to to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
Most of the assets were previously owned by the HCA under English Partnerships. They will be transferred to the HCA's existing Land and Regeneration portfolio, and will continue to be delivered as part of the National Coalfields Programme.
The HCA's portfolio now includes employment land at Dinnington Colliery and Roundwood Colliery plus the former pit head baths and associated land at Kiveton Colliery. The leasehold of former Yorkshire Forward offices at Renaissance House in Manvers is also to be transferred to the HCA under a stewardship model.
The HCA will continue to be accountable to Government for the effective management and disposal of these assets. It will continue to work with local partners to develop, invest in and dispose of assets, in pursuit of the economic development and regeneration objectives agreed by local partners and in support of local strategies.
Pat Ritchie, chief executive of the HCA, said: "This transfer acknowledges the key HCA role in managing and developing coalfield land and property assets, the Agency's prior investment in these sites, and our wealth of experience in working with partners to deliver economic and regeneration benefits to local communities where it is most needed.
"This builds substantially on our existing coalfields regeneration programme as part of our ongoing Land and Regeneration work, and we will continue to work with our local partners to ensure the best outcome for communities and maximum value for money."
English Partnerships and the National Coalfields Programme have been important in the regeneration of former coalfield land in Rotherham including the transformation of Dinnington Colliery and coalfields of the Dearne Valley which are now thriving business locations.
Mrs Ritchie added: "To date, the HCA's work regenerating former coalfield areas, through its National Coalfields Programme, has had a huge impact in transforming the fortunes of these areas, through the creation of thousands of new homes, jobs, businesses and green spaces. The inclusion of these assets within our wider land portfolio will ensure that this legacy continues, and will make a major contribution to the localism agenda."
The transfer of RDA coalfield assets is the first stage of asset transfer to the HCA. The process to transfer the remaining RDA land and property portfolio to the HCA is due for completion in early Autumn.
The latest housing development led by Rotherham Council will be formally opened next week.
The 21 properties at Albany Road, Kilnhurst comprise two, three and four bed accommodation and have been built to a high specification by Wildgoose Construction, including a full range of energy-efficient features plus security details.
Thirteen of the units are already fully occupied and the remaining eight units are to be handed over to Rotherham Borough Council next week.
The £2.6m Kilnhurst scheme is the fourth of seven local authority developments to be completed across the borough. New developments at Newland Avenue and Stone Park Close, Maltby; and at Wood Street, Thrybergh, are already let.
A total of 132 homes are to be built by the end of the autumn, as a result of Rotherham Borough Council receiving £8.7m from the National Affordable Housing programme specifically for the building of brand-new council housing from the Homes and Communities Agency.
The remaining properties to become available throughout the year will include 29 at Albert Road, West Melton; 29 at Rother View Road, Canklow; and five in newly named Whitehill Willow off Whitehill Road, Brinsworth.
Coun. Rose NcNeely, Cabinet Member for Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods, said she was delighted to see yet another council housing development come on line.
She added: "This remarkable development is already providing wonderful much-needed new homes for the authority's tenants. These houses have been built to an incredibly high specification and offer high energy-efficient living as standard."
Tamsin Hart, Project Manager for the Homes and Communities Agency said: "It is great that our investment continues to provide local people with the homes that they want available in a way that they can afford. I am really pleased that Rotherham Council is on track to provide new homes for 597 people by the end of the year."
Wildgoose, with the help of YORbuild, approached Dearne Valley College to offer its students placements on its Rotherham construction sites.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has retained the AMP Technology Centre in Rotherham as part of the transfer of land and property assets owned by Yorkshire Forward.
The 50,000 sq ft state of the art building is considered to be the Advanced Manufacturing Park's incubation facility. It provides facilities and a support infrastructure designed to help fledgling manufacturing and engineering companies turn innovative ideas into commercial reality in an environment which accelerates growth. It was one of the first commercial buildings in the country to be powered by a unique hydrogen mini-grid system.
Creative Space took over management of the centre on behalf of Yorkshire Forward in 2009.
In a written Ministerial statement, the government identified the AMP Technology Centre as having national importance and stated that it will be retained within central Government in order to be developed further to support investments in innovation and technology.
As part of the transfer, the Government is to establish a stewardship arrangement and contract the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to manage the asset.
Other assets owned by Yorkshire Forward, which will close by April 2012, are to transferred to the HCA under a similar stewardship model. The agency will own the assets and liabilities, with local communities involved in decisions about future development plans to maximise the benefits to economic growth and regeneration in their areas. The transfer is currently planned to take effect on 19 September 2011.
In Rotherham this includes the leasehold of Renaissance House in Manvers. Other Yorkshire Forward assets in Rotherham have already been transferred to the HCA including former coalfield land at Dinnington, Kiveton and Roundwood. Plot 4 at the AMP and the Tarmac Site, Wath Upon Dearne were released for disposal on the open market last April.
David Curtis, the HCA's executive director for the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber, said: "This is a practical way forward that will benefit local economies, minimise costs to the taxpayer and give local communities a place at the table as we work together to develop these assets to benefit Yorkshire & The Humber.
"Our principal aim is to ensure that the assets help to drive forward economic growth and regeneration in Yorkshire and The Humber. The stewardship model ensures that these sites continue to support Yorkshire and the Humber's long-term economic development. As a whole, the picture is good – all areas will benefit as investment will be made in the assets so that economic growth and regeneration objectives are achieved."
In January, Yorkshire Forward stated that many of the assets should instead be transferred to local authorities via a trust arrangement or transferred to councils for deferred payment consideration. The Government later confirmed that this would not be appropriate.
Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk added: "The transfer of RDA land and property assets to the Homes and Communities Agency underlines our commitment to making sure these assets are used to support economic growth and regeneration.
"Through local enterprise partnerships, the Regional Growth Fund and Enterprise Zones, we are putting in place an efficient and locally driven model of regional economic development that ensures government support goes to where it can have most impact."
Rotherham social housing contractor, Bramall Construction has taken on a team of ten apprentices to independently build two new bungalows, as part of a scheme of eight new homes, in Newland Avenue, Maltby.
The scheme for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is part funded Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) who has provided a £4.6m grant for a number of Local Authority new build projects in Rotherham.
Often apprentices are used a general labourers on site but Bramall is providing quality experience for the eight bricklayers and two joiners by letting them work independently on the project, with a site manager overseeing their progress.
Two of the apprentices would have been out of work after being made redundant from their previous roles and four have been given further placements with Bramall after doing so well on a site in Derby. The others have been recruited especially for the scheme or brought to site from other local Bramall schemes.
The young people are working towards NVQ Level 2&3 qualifications with Bramall, which is committed to preserving trades skills for when the housing market takes an upturn.
Neal Mardon, Bramall Site Manager, said: "The apprentices have all been keen and being allowed to build the bungalows on their own, with guidance from myself and the fully qualified bricklayers on site, is great experience.'
Apprentice Karl Turner, aged 19, from Wickersley in Rotherham, was taken on by Bramall in April after being made redundant from his previous job at the end of last year.
Karl, who is studying for an NVQ Level 2 progressing to NVQ Level 3 on day release at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, said: "Bricklaying is something I've been into from leaving school.
"Being taken on by Bramall means that I can continue my studies at college and hopefully will complete my course at the end of the year, with skills that will last me a lifetime."
Uzma Sattar, Scheme Programme Coordinator, from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, added: "This is one of six sites in the Borough where new council houses are being developed; we are supporting local labour and equipping people with skills by ensuring apprentices and student placements are working on the sites. I'm really thrilled that the apprentices on this development have been able to develop their skills and experience by independently building the bungalows."
Westleigh New Homes has commenced construction work on a scheme of 23 new homes in Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, 15 of which will be available under the Government HomeBuy Direct Scheme.
Hopwood Park is situated on Manvers Way and will comprise two- and three-bedroom homes. Construction work is expected to be completed next Spring with the first show homes ready in February 2011.
All homes will be finished to a high specification with contemporary fitted kitchens with stainless steel appliances. Modern bathrooms complement the specification and some three-bedroom homes will have an additional en-suite shower room. All properties will be highly energy efficient with high levels of insulation, fuel saving central heating systems and efficient kitchen appliances.
The HomeBuy Direct scheme is open to first-time buyers, key workers and others who are currently renting.
Buyers can redeem the loan in instalments, purchasing up to 100 per cent of the equity after their initial purchase by buying additional equity at the market rate. Alternatively, if they sell their home, the equity loan is repaid by way of a proportionate share of the sale proceeds.
Tamsin Hart, project manager for the Homes and Communities Agency, said: "HomeBuy Direct is a great way to help people live in homes they can afford in their local communities. This development is great news for the people of the Dearne Valley and our investment of £296,250 will help 67 local people move into their new homes in the next few months."
Robert Orr, from Leicester-based Westleigh New Homes, added: "Hopwood Park will be a delightful development offering new homes for first time buyers and those seeking their next family home. Homes are expected to be ready next Spring but homebuyers are invited to register their interest with us now to avoid disappointment." HCA website Westleigh New Homes website
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England has confirmed £2.4m of funding to provide 47 new homes to be started this year in North Anston and Rotherham.
The homes are being funded through the National Affordable Housing Programme as a part of a £44m investment across Yorkshire and The Humber to meet the specific needs of different communities.
Rob Pearson, head of area at the Homes and Communities Agency said: "It is excellent news for local residents in the Rotherham area that we are able to provide funding for 47 new homes to be completed over the next two years.
"We have worked with our partners to identify their housing priorities and to ensure that we are able to give best value for money.
"All the construction work will start this year on the new homes for rent that will help meet the different housing needs of local residents."
The programe provides funds to Local Authorities and Registered Providers of Social Housing to build new houses that ensure that people are able to live in the communities of their choice and Local Authorities can meet their needs as effectively as possible.
Network Space has announced five new deals totalling nearly 17,000 sq ft at its Century Park Networkcentre in Rotherham.
Waste analysis company, Waste Research Ltd has taken a 7,800 sq ft workspace unit with office content on a 7-year lease. Also moving in are PAC Groundworks Ltd, Merry Maids of Mid Yorkshire, and Elite Belting Services Limited, who've taken office and workspace units ranging from 918 to 2,010 sq ft units on three to five year leases.
David Wilson, Director of Waste Research said: "We required centrally located premises that were large enough to combine both our office and test centre.
"With its combined workspace/office units and locality close to the motorway network, Century Park Networkcentre provided the ideal solution for us."
In addition, an existing tenant of Network Space, PH Jones, recently relocated from one of its other networkcentres to a 4,619 sq ft unit on the site.
Manager of PH Jones, Mick Mrksic said: "We wanted to relocate from Doncaster to Rotherham but remain with Network Space as they’ve always provided us with an excellent service."
The Manvers development is a high quality office and workspace development built by Network Space, a joint venture between developers Langtree and the Homes and Communities Agency. Six similar deals were announced in January.
Claire Chisholm, Property Manager at Network Space, added: "We are delighted to welcome new and existing tenants to the site, bringing it to 81% occupied." Networkspace website
Current Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council, Sir Bob Kerslake has been appointed as the first Chief Executive of the new Homes and Communities Agency. The new Agency will bring together the housing and regeneration delivery functions of the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Having spent ten years as a key player in the regeneration of Sheffield he will start his new job in March 2008.
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The AMP is part of the 740 acre Waverley development that is being brought forward by Harworth Estates on the site of the former Orgreave colliery. They estimate that the 150 aces of employment land will help to create up to 3,500 pioneering new jobs. The AMP will support up to 2.5 million square feet of accommodation and currently 1 million sq ft has been completed.
Initially developed by Yorkshire Forward, the AMP Technology Centre is now operated by Creative Space Management on behalf of the Homes and Communities Agency.
The site is also home to the Matrix @ Dinnington business centre (pictured, right). Operated by Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RIDO), the regeneration arm of Rotherham Council, the £3.4m incubation centre provides high quality office and workshop facilities, ideal for start-up businesses.
Great Places Housing Group is looking to build on their successful housing developments in Rotherham after securing £4.9m from the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) Affordable Homes Programme. 
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has retained the AMP Technology Centre in Rotherham as part of the transfer of land and property assets owned by Yorkshire Forward.
Network Space has announced five new deals totalling nearly 17,000 sq ft at its Century Park Networkcentre in Rotherham. 
