News: Environmental permit application withdrawn for Rotherham site

The Environment Agency has confirmed that a permit regarding glass recycling at a site in Rotherham has been withdrawn.

Operators were previously served with a statutory abatement order following complaints from nearby residents.

Universal Glass Ltd has been operating from Rotherham Road in Dinnington. Rothbiz reported on a permit application for non-hazardous waste recycling which stated that the throughput of the site was proposed to be less than 75,000 tonnes a year, targeting "wastes consisting predominantly of glass, with smaller fractions of packaging materials."

The application is now listed as withdrawn and the local MP, Jake Richards has said that the firm has closed the site and the operation "will be moved to another location."

The MP said: "I would like to thank everyone who was involved in this campaign, your strength of feeling and demand for action has been heard and we have collectively ensured that this issue has been resolved for local residents.

"For the past 15 months, residents around the area have been contacting me to report a foul and toxic smell coming from the Glass recycling plant. Residents spoke about the impact on their day-to-day lives; not being able to open windows, avoiding going outside, and worrying about the effect on their health. Many described the smell as being particularly bad over weekends, and the strength of feeling was clear: people were frustrated and wanted action.

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"Residents were also worried that the company had applied for an Environmental Permit, which would enable them to continue operating and further enhance the risk to residents’ safety and quality of life."

The permit would have allowed for HGVs to deliver waste which would be crushed and screened outside with a second screening inside. Once treated, the materials would then be considered a specified, saleable product, and would no longer constitute a waste. Different products would be separately stockpiled and bagged before being loaded to HGVs for onward delivery.

Permitted work would have been carried out 8:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday and 8:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Businesses already showing interest in £12m Rotherham regeneration scheme

Current tenants and prospective new occupiers are already showing interest in a new multimillion pound regeneration scheme in a Rotherham town.

The revamp of DInnington market recently cleared a major hurdle with the Government’s Planning Inspector approving Rotherham Council’s bid to acquire key property in the area.

Rothbiz reported in July that all objections had been withdrawn just before a legal inquiry got underway into a compulsory purchase order (CPO) that would enable Rotherham Council to acquire the various land and property interests needed for the Government-funded project.

The plans include clearing derelict buildings, creating a new town square, and developing purpose-built commercial units to diversify the local offer.

The project, backed by £11m in Government funding, aims to improve the outdoor market, pedestrian routes, and public spaces - creating a healthier, safer, and more sustainable environment for residents, visitors, and businesses.

As well as improving the high street’s aesthetics and accessibility, the project will also create new opportunities for local businesses and the town centre including increased footfall and events.

The letter from the inspector exlains that: "an aspiration of the scheme is to retain the existing businesses, and four of the current businesses have indicated that they wish to return to the development, and will be accommodated. There has been no marketing to date but a further five new businesses have indicated that they wish to have premises within the new scheme which shows that there is already an appetite for the development.

"Some of the displaced occupiers do not wish to return to the scheme, for example the Colliery Band, but they have been helped to relocate to suitable premises elsewhere [in the old library on Laughton Road]."

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To carry out the plans, that were approved in 2024, the council needs to acquire acquire all outstanding interests in 32A Laughton Road, the indoor market at 34 Laughton Road, a parade of terraced retail units at 36 – 56 Laughton Road, the open area to the rear of Laughton Road which is used as the outdoor market with fixed market stalls, the colliery band building and two passageways at either end of the plot.

The inspector concluded: "It is evident that there needs to be a comprehensive redevelopment of the Order Land to regenerate not only the market area itself but also the wider town centre. The development needs to take place in this location as part of the town centre to provide the benefits to the wider retail area, remove the unsightly elements and provide the new town square.

"Whilst all of the objectors to the CPO have withdrawn their objections prior to the opening of the inquiry, the actual acquisition of all of the plots had not yet occurred, and the making of the CPO alongside the ongoing negotiations help to ensure that the scheme could be achieved within a reasonable timescale."

Work to appoint a contractor is expected to take place in the New Year before work starts on site.

The Government has confirmed that the spending on the project can be extended from 2026 to 2028.

Cllr. Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “It’s fantastic news that the CPO has been confirmed meaning work can progress on the redevelopment of Dinnington High Street. The work will make a huge impact on the local area, not just in terms of how it looks, but how it’s accessed and help and foster a renewed sense of pride in the town.

“We’ve all been frustrated about the length of time it’s taken to reach this stage - it was never going to be easy with some of the challenges we've faced in acquiring parts of the site. However, now that the CPO has been granted, we remain totally committed to forging ahead on delivering the improvements that residents and businesses have been waiting for.”

Rother Valley MP Jake Richards, spoke at the public inquiry and said: "It is vital that the project happens. Dinnington has never lost its character, and everyone pulls together but investment is desperately needed.

"Dinnington is a market town, and the scheme will reorientate and modernise the market place and bring better integration with the town centre. The aim is not just cosmetic, but the scheme offers a comprehensive approach and responds to the public interest."

Richards described the project as "a golden opportunity that will be a catalyst for local growth."

Images: RMBC / AHR / Google Maps

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News: Exagen submit plans for Rotherham solar farm

A planning application has been submitted for another solar farm on greenbelt land in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported in March on Thurcroft Interchange Energy Park. and has previously reported on Whitestone Solar Farm, which if constructed, would generate up to 750MW of energy, enough to power up to 250,000 homes. It would be the largest solar farm in Yorkshire and one of the largest in the UK.

Applicants Exagen Group have set out plans for a 49.9MW solar farm with a co-located 50MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and substation on farmland between Wickersley and Morthen close to the M1/M18 interchange. The yearly output of the solar generation is predicted to equate to the electricity use of approximately 20,370 average UK homes per year.

Plans show three parcels of land totalling 103 hectares accomodating some 97,000 solar modules with a 40-year operational period and applicants say that any planning permission would be temporary and that there would be "no temporary or permanent loss of agricultural land" as the site will remain in active agricultural use, such as sheep grazing and arable cultivation.

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Plans state that the solar farm would result in a multipurpose use throughout the development’s lifetime - "simultaneously supporting agricultural activities, generating clean renewable energy, and delivering substantial biodiversity enhancements. At the end of the 40-year operational period, the land will be restored to its current land use and as a result there would be no loss of agricultural land.

"Over its 40-year lifespan, the solar farm will improve soil health by reducing erosion, restoring nutrients, and enhancing biodiversity. After decommissioning, the land will revert to full agricultural use, ensuring long-term benefits for farming and soil quality."

Landscaping and biodiversity enhancement is also included in the plans.

The application has already attracted a number of objections.

Jake Richards, Rother Valley MP, said: "While I fully support the Government's mission to expand clean, homegrown energy, including through solar generation, developments of this nature must be located and planned responsibly. This application cannot and should not be considered in isolation from the much larger Whitestone Solar Farm proposal.

"Whitestone is a nationally significant infrastructure project expected to span approximately 3,500 acres and generate 750 MW. Crucially, the site of this Thurcroft application falls within the wider area earmarked for Whitestone. It is unreasonable and misleading to assess the Thurcroft proposal as a standalone development."

Regarding Whitestone, Exagen say: "The application for a Development Consent Order not due to be submitted to the Secretary of State until summer 2026. At this stage, there is no confirmed site layout, design detail, or certainty regarding delivery. As such, the proposal is too speculative to be meaningfully assessed alongside the Thurcroft Interchange Energy Park."

Exagen website

Images: Exagen

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News: Plans updated for massive solar farm in Rotherham

Following consultation, early stage plans have been updated for a massive solar farm that could take up acres of green belt land in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported at the end of 2024 on plans for Whitestone Solar Farm, which if constructed, would generate up to 750MW of energy, enough to power up to 250,000 homes.

Consultation documents from solar developer Green Nation showed that vast areas of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster, some safeguarded for the now-cancelled HS2 route, could make up the solar farm.

The northen site straddles the Rotherham and Doncaster border east of Hooton Roberts and north of Ravenfield.

Farmland adjacent to the M18 south of Bramley and Wickersley has also been identified to host thousands of solar panels, as has vast areas of fields either side of the M1 south of its junction with the M18. This includes sites near Ulley, Aston and Brampton, out towards North and South Anston, and the other way to land between Treeton and Whiston.

In the south of the borough, sites could be included in the solar farm development that are close to Kiveton Park, Harthill and Woodall.

Having recently completed a first consultation stage, developers say that they have made "significant changes to the project design" to respond to the feedback received.

Updated documents explain that one fourth of the land (279 hectares / 689 acres) has been removed across the whole site that was included for solar development to create buffers around homes, villages and public rights of way near the project boundary. This has resulted in the removal or reduction of panels around the most sensitive community areas, particularly around residential dwellings.

Developers say that: "These areas would not have any solar panels or other above-ground infrastructure. Some will now be set aside for environmental enhancement and mitigation, and would be planted with a mix of native grasses and wildflowers to support wildlife and increase biodiversity."

The area for solar development and associated infrastructure would now only account for around half of the total updated site area.

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Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it would go for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to authorise its construction, operation and decommissioning. The final decision on a DCO application will be made at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

A scoping seport is being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. This enables the project to be designed to avoid or minimise negative environmental impacts and provides an opportunity to incorporate positive environmental enhancements into the project. A formal application is not expected until the summer of 2026.

Green Nation is planning a second consultation this autumn based on the updated proposals and the preliminary results of the environmental assessments.

The developers said: "During this consultation, which will be considered ‘statutory’, we will consult with the community, elected officials, and technical experts to fact check our initial results and help inform the final assessments that we will submit in our DCO application. When we get closer to the autumn, we will notify the community of the details of the consultation and how you can take part."

Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, who has already raised concerns about the proposals, said of the update: "I am pleased that this has resulted in some significant changes and a 25% reduction in the scale of the plan. It is welcome that particular areas which local residents sought to be protected have been.

"But nonetheless, the revised plan is not good enough. Whilst I support the government’s plans for more renewable energy to cut bills and end our reliance on foreign supplies, my priority is always my constituents. Residents in the affected areas - Harthill, Woodall, Aston, Brampton-en-le-Morthen and Ulley – are rightly worried about this and I will stand with them.

"I will continue to work with the developer, urging them to make further changes."

Whitestone Solar Farm website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Rother Valley MP "really concerned" over huge solar farm plans

Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, has met with the company that has started consultation on early stage plans for a massive solar farm that could take up acres of green belt land in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last month on Whitestone Solar Farm, which if constructed, would generate up to 750MW of energy, enough to power up to 250,000 homes.

Consultation documents show that vast areas of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster, some safeguarded for the now-cancelled HS2 route, could make up the solar farm. Sites in the Rother Valley constituency include fields near to Bramley and Wickersley, near Ulley, Aston and Brampton, out towards North and South Anston, and close to Kiveton Park, Harthill and Woodall.

Solar developer Green Nation has begun consultation on the scheme that would be classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and would not be determined by Rotherham Council, instead a Development Consent Order (DCO) application would be decided at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

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Jake Richards MP, said: "This week, I met with the developers to find out more about the proposal, which is still at a very early stage. The proposal is not finalised and there has been no application to the Secretary of State.

"However, even at this early juncture I’m really concerned about this project. Whilst we need local energy infrastructure, the sheer scale of what is currently being proposed and the location of some of the sites is worrying. The application is not for me to allow or refuse, but I want to shape it and put pressure on the company to ensure it is done right, if it has to be done. This means we need to protect local green spaces, minimise disruption and invest in the local area. If they do not do this, I will oppose it."

In-person consultation events have begun and online consultation continues to January 17 2025.

Developers explained: "During this period, we are presenting our early proposals and asking for your feedback. This feedback, along with the results of ongoing environmental and technical assessments will help inform the updated project design that we present for our second round of consultation next year."

Whitestone Solar Farm website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Housebuilder pulls out of proposed Rotherham development

Campaigners say that housebuilder, Avant, is no longer involved in a controversial 450 house development in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last year on a detailed planning application submitted by Avant and the landowner for arable fields that sit between existing housing and Sitwell golf course near to Whiston.

Landowners had worked together to submit an application having previously secured a residential allocation for the nearly 50 acre greenbelt site off Lathe Road / Worry Goose Lane through the development of the borough's Local Plan.

Applicants, AE Waddington, R Parkes & V Foers, worked with JVH Town Planning and agents, WYG, to secure outline planning approval despite over 300 letters of representation being received when it went before the planning board at Rotherham Council.

The 2024 planning application from Avant Homes Central for the site remains undetermined but now Whiston Residents Action Group (WRAG) has posted that things have changed.

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An update from the group on Facebook page reads: "WRAG took part in an online meeting at Jake Richards MP’s request, where we were given the news that Avant Homes no longer hold an interest in this land and will not be taking the development forward."

Letters to residents from the local MP have been sent out inviting them to a public meeting on November 24.

The reserved matters application detailed where the houses would go, the types of houses, and the location of things like attenuation basins and play areas.

With outline approval, the site may still be attractive to other housebuilders but this comes with a number of conditions, such as contributing to £225,000 for transport improvements plus a financial contribution to the proposed works at Worrygoose roundabout, £100k per annum for a period of three years for bus services, and 25% on site affordable housing provision.

Images: Google Maps

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