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

Images: Knight Frank / Harworth

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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

Images: Lindum Group

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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: New Rotherham Lidl recommended for approval

Planning officers at Rotherham Council are recommending that plans for a new Lidl are approved, but the German global discount chain has been in this position before.

Rothbiz reported on a planning application last year to build a new Lidl supermarket on the site of a former fire station and library in Maltby.

The proposal is for a new store on High Street with a 13,500 sq ft sales area on the central and northern part of the site, providing an instore bakery, customer toilets and customer recycling facility.

Tesco, which has a store opposite the site, objected, causing Lidl to rethink its plans.

Similar plans in Swallownest, where objections from Aldi and Co-op went some way to Rotherham Council's planning board refusing permission for a Lidl store, despite them being recommended for approval by officers, have recently been revived.

The objection from Tesco means that the Maltby plans are set to go before the planning board next month.

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Plans show that building will be serviced from the western side of the store with vehicular and pedestrian access via High Street. There are 87 car parking spaces proposed.

If approved, the plans would create 40 new full time and part time jobs.

Lidl said that "the proposal would not have any significant adverse impact upon other existing, committed or planned investment in this or any other centres."

Tesco described the initial retail impact assessment as "erroneous" and "misleading" so Lidl has carried out further assessments.

A council report states: "It is considered that whilst the proposed store will divert retail expenditure from existing stores within the defined town centre boundary, the location of the proposed store is such that it has the realistic potential to make a contribution to the town centre via linked trips and spin-off benefits.

"Whilst a reasonably large element of these linked trips will be transferred linked trips, they nevertheless will continue to benefit the town centre and this will be reinforced by the potential for additional benefits for Maltby as trade is diverted from other stores located outside of the town.

"On this basis, whilst it is important to note that there will be an adverse impact upon some trade associated with existing stores within the defined town centre boundary, it is unlikely that there will be a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of the defined town centre."

Since the beginning of 2022, Lidl has already opened 23 new stores and remains on track for 1,100 stores by the end of 2025.

Lidl website

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News: Store Wars Maltby - Tesco objects to new Lidl

A new episode of Store Wars is playing out in Rotherham between national retailers.

Rothbiz reported on a planning application last year to build a new Lidl supermarket on the site of a former fire station and library in Maltby.

Now Tesco, which has a store opposite the site, has delivered its objections, causing Lidl to rethink its plans.

The German retailer found opposition to similar plans in Swallownest where objections from Aldi and Co-op went some way to Rotherham Council's planning board refusing permission for a Lidl store. The plans have since been revived.

At Maltby, the proposal is for a new store on High Street with a 13,500 sq ft sales area on the central and northern part of the site, providing an instore bakery, customer toilets and customer recycling facility.

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Agents for Tesco say that Lidl's application contains a "number of failings" and "erroneous assumptions" regarding the retail impacts of the proposed new store.

Tesco claims that agents for Lidl said that the site is within a defined town centre, adding that: "given its status as a Town Centre, the range of retail facilities in Maltby is currently quite limited." Going on to say: "There are no larger scale foodstores within the centre and these existing facilities, including Tesco, primarily meet top-up shopping needs."

Tesco says that the applicant's agent has wrongly assumed that the proposal occupies a town centre location making the retail impact assesment "misleading."

Martin Robeson, acting for Tesco, said: "Their appraisal is flawed, having been erroneously calculated on the basis that the store will occupy a town centre location.

"The proposed Lidl's anticipated turnover by 2024 has therefore been inappropriately added to the total turnover of Maltby town centre, which yields a misleading picture of a positive total impact.

"In our judgement there is therefore likely to be a negative impact on the town centre."

It also argues that a -26% impact on the anchor Tesco store would have severe effects on footfall across the centre.

It adds that an up-to-date health check of Maltby town centre has not been carried out and claims that other attempts have been made to "diffuse" the impacts on the town centre and "overstate the claw-back effects" from spend outside of Maltby.

Lidl, and agents, Lichfield, have now updated plans and supplied additional information, restarting the consultation period for the application.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Tesco plans to lift barriers to parking at Rotherham store

Tesco is looking to reverse controversial plans for parking restrictions at its Rotherham Extra store.

In 2017, plans were approved by Rotherham Council's planning board despite objections that led to the introduction of three hours free parking at the town centre store with the condition that shoppers wanting to park for over 30 minutes had to spend £5 in the store and register their vehicle. A private company was brought in to enforce the operation.

When the 100,000 sq ft store was approved in 2014 a parking plan to offer two hours free parking was "to limit the availability of free parking and to encourage the use of sustainable transport" and not related to offering users the opportunity to make linked trips into the town centre. It was imposed as a limitation rather than a requirement.

In making the changes in 2017, Tesco said that it was "finding that their car park is coming under considerable pressure and is being used by non-Tesco customers, detracting from the attractiveness of the store as a main food shopping location, and in turn impacting on its trading performance."

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But now the retailer says that there is sufficient space in the car park. The store has remained open during COVID lockdown restrictions but parking control measures have only been reintroduced in April, working intermintently since.

Redline Planning, consultants for Tesco, explain: "Tesco are aware that car parking pressures that necessitated the installation of the control measures approved as part of the planning application have diminished, and that there is now sufficient capacity in the car park to relax the controls over its use. Tesco therefore propose to remove the "park-to-shop" system.

"The new controls will allow all customers to the store to park freely for at least two hours, up to a maximum of three hours."

The automatic numberplate recognition is set to remain and fines for overstaying will still be levied (£70, £42 if paid within 14 days). Tesco said that it would want the planning permission to enable them to bring down the maximum stay from three hours to two hours if required.

Tesco website

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News: Tesco plans recommended for refusal

Plans for a standalone Tesco store alongside a pub at North Anston are being recommended for refusal after a dispute over the land has lead to a "poor layout" being submitted.

The planning application, which dates back to 2015, proposes the construction of an extension to The Cutler public house to provide a separate new retail shop unit for Tesco's.

It is proposed that the Cutler remains in use as a public house whilst a 3,100 sq ft Tesco Express store is built to the North to cater for local retailing needs.

The ownership of the site has been separated between the applicant, who would lease from the current owner Wulstan Capital, and the owners of the public house who retain ownership of The Cutler building and land to the south including the car park and the access from Woodsetts Road.

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The pub owners want to keep the beer garden on the site which has caused problems for Tesco.

An officer's report to an upcoming planning board explains: "The Council have requested that Tesco's engage in negotiations with the owners of this land to include it within their site and therefore their control. However, Tesco's have confirmed that the owner is unwilling to sell this land to them and wishes to retain it as part of the licensed public house premises.

"Whilst this is noted, it is considered that the proposed ownership arrangement creates a poor and unsatisfactory layout by physically disconnecting this beer garden area from the licensed premises of The Cutler public house. This would lead to users of the public house having to walk past the store premises with their drinks and the staff of the public house being unable to provide adequate surveillance of their beer garden."

84 objections to the scheme have been received, including from neighbouring residents who have raised concerns about the possibility for anti-social behaviour occurring from the beer garden as the site would be remote from the public house and would not be overlooked by the store.

Members of the planning board are being recommended to refuse the application "for the poor layout as the development would fail to contribute to securing a healthy and safe environment."

Tesco website

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News: Free parking being introduced near Rotherham Markets

Free parking spaces are being provided on Drummond Street, between Tesco and the markets complex, under new proposals from Rotherham Council.

Rothbiz has been reporting on how the local authority plans to support existing businesses as they wait for the catalyst projects in the new masterplan to revive the town centre.

These include parking incentives, the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), marketing and promotion and opportunities for "meanwhile uses," window/frontage treatments and potential free Wi-Fi.

New parking incentives have recently been introduced, but the authority has stopped short of offering free parking across the board.

The latest move will see half the current free "red zone" spaces provided in Forge Island transferred to the Council's car park at Drummond Street.

The move comes as contractors QSP Construction Group begin work at Forge Island on a new, temporary bus station for the town. It will provide 12 stands and a covered waiting area for passengers along with new bus stands and shelters located on Corporation Street and Market Place.

The nearby Rotherham Interchange is undergoing a £12m revamp and bus services will cease to use the current interchange this month. Long term plans for Forge Island are for a £40m leisure mixed-use development that could accommodate a cinema, hotel, restaurants and bars, town centre parking, as well as high quality business space and modern residential opportunities.

The Council says that the temporary move has led to a surge in interest in vacant shop units around Corporation Street.

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The Drummond Street "red zone" will be similar to the existing free parking area in Forge Island car park, where customers are entitled to one session of two hours free parking per day in a limited number of parking bays.

The new arrangements will see a split of 36 free parking bays in Drummond Street, with 35 free spaces in Forge Island.

Parking fees have been frozen and previously introduced offers see visitors claim two hours free parking at the expiration of a two hour session purchased in some town centre Council operated off-street car parks on Saturdays.

Parking restrictions were put in place by Tesco at its Tesco Extra store on Drummond Street in 2017. Users here wanting to park for over 30 minutes have to spend £5 in the store and register their vehicle.

Damien Wilson, strategic director for regeneration and environment at Rotherham Council, believs the proposal would give a boost to the other side of the town centre and address concerns from traders in that area.

He said: "We have listened to what traders and businesses have told us and feel now is the right time to offer some free parking in that part of the town centre, particularly following the parking restrictions introduced by Tesco recently.

"There will still be some free parking on offer in Forge Island of course. With the temporary bus station opening there shortly, we have seen a renewed interest in the Corporation Street area with a number of vacant units being let as a result.

"We hope this new move will help local people and businesses benefit from our growing economy at a time of some exciting developments."

Images: Google Maps

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News: Parking restrictions start up at Rotherham Tesco

Controversial new parking restrictions at the Tesco Extra store in Rotherham town centre have come into force.

Tesco is now providing three hours free parking at the Drummond Street store but with the condition that shoppers wanting to park for over 30 minutes will have to spend £5 in the store and register their vehicle.

The new "ParkShopReg" system has been implemented which involves parking being validated on the day of visiting the store. This can be done at store using the machines provided or by using a mobile phone app. A free parking voucher is printed for customers in store which includes a barcode and voucher code. Drivers will have up until midnight on the day to validate using the app.

Operated by a private firm, Horizon Parking, those who don't validate their parking or stay longer than three hours will be issued a penalty charge notice of £70, reduced to £40 if paid in 14 days. An Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking control system is in place.

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The changes were approved by the planning board at Rotherham Council in May.

An approved parking plan to offer two hours free parking when the store was approved in 2014 was "to limit the availability of free parking and to encourage the use of sustainable transport" and not related to offering users the opportunity to make linked trips into the town centre. It was not to provide a car park so users can just visit the town centre, but for a car park for the store.

The initial condition was a imposed as a limitation rather than a requirement but the planned changes drew objections from the Council's regeneration arm, RiDO, which is responsible for the town centre and the nearby markets, who warned that new proposed parking restrictions will have a negative effect.

Tesco stated that the car park was coming under considerable pressure and is being used by non-Tesco customers. Planning consultants for the retailer added that "the revised controls will ensure that there is a greater turnover of parking to create more freely available spaces for shoppers to visit both the store and shops located in the town centre."

Across town on Forge Island, landowners, Rotherham Council, has cleared the former Tesco store and is to extend the temporary car park from 309 spaces to over 500 spaces. Parking in the "red zone" is free for two hours in the week with all spaces free to use on Saturdays and Sundays.

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News: Forge Island parking plan

Plans to increase the number of car parking spaces to over 500 on Forge Island in Rotherham town centre are being progressed as the former Tesco store bites the dust.

The site on the River Don was purchased by Rotherham Council for around £1.5m earlier this year. Ultimately it is set to play a key role as a catalyst for further regeneration of the town. The wider development incorporating Forge Island and adjacent sites could deliver a 25,000 sq ft cinema, 20,000 sq ft hotel and 6,000 sq ft of restaurants and bars. It has an estimated project value of £43.5m.

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In the meantime, as local demolition firm, Demex, take down the retail store that was vacated in 2014, the site is set to continue as a car park, offering mixed short stay, long stay, free and permit parking.

If approved, new plans would enable the Council to operate a car park on the whole of the 4.23 acre site, previously the Rotherham Forge & Rolling Mills, on a temporary basis for three years.

The site currently has 309 spaces, including 70 spaces in the "red zone" which is free for two hours in the week. All parking is completely free on weekends. Plans show space for an extra 235 spaces on the site of the old store.

With the buildings demolished, the proposed development will utilise two vehicular accesses to the site. The current access is from the bridge to Market Street, but there is a proposal for a new entrance to the car park via a junction with Bridge Street and Forge Lane, close to Rotherham Central Station.

Originally constructed to form a delivery / service yard access for the supermarket, the access road will be operated via a one way system and not as an exit.

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A transport assessment submitted with the plans from Rotherham Council concludes that: "The proposed temporary car park is not expected to result in any material impact upon the highway network and certainly would not have any severe cumulative impact."

The plans show that the car park is fulfilling a need as a short stay car park as the majority of users make use of the free parking offer. Some 509 of the 774 users on average per weekday. It is not clear in the plans how many spaces will remain in the "red zone" and be free for short stays.

Changes were made to parking charges in Rotherham town centre in 2016 to help fill a deficit in the Council's parking services budget. Councillors wanted an option to to increase charges on the basis of free (off street) parking being provided on Saturdays but this was not acceded to.

The Council's planning board recently approved plans from Tesco to introduce parking restrictions at its Extra store on the other side of town.

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News: Rotherham Tesco parking plans passed

The planning board at Rotherham Council had a mixed bag of opinions on Tesco's latest plans, but the casting vote from the chair means that the application to enable new parking restrictions at its Rotherham Extra store has been approved.

Planning officers recommended that plans be approved to enable Tesco to provide three hours free parking with the condition that shoppers wanting to park for over 30 minutes would have to spend £5 in the store and register their vehicle.

The planning board heard how this recommendation was based on the reason why the authority included a condition on the original application when the 100,000 sq ft store was approved in 2014.

An approved parking plan to offer two hours free parking was "to limit the availability of free parking and to encourage the use of sustainable transport" and not related to offering users the opportunity to make linked trips into the town centre. It was a imposed as a limitation rather than a requirement.

Nigel Hancock, assistant planning manager at Rotherham Council, explained: "On the face of it you might think these new restrictions would put people off but what you need to consider is the terminology that is used [by the applicant] on creating linked trips. I.e. link a trip to Tesco with a trip to the wider town centre facilities, and not to provide a car park so someone can just visit the town centre.

"The proposal should increase the opportunity to provide linked trips as it will increase the time available to park from two hours to three hours - giving more time to go into town and shop at Tesco, using their car park."

The officer also discussed the objections to the new restrictions which included the Council's regeneration arm, RiDO, which is responsible for the town centre and the nearby markets, who warned that new proposed parking restrictions will have a negative effect.

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With discussion over how the store's care park is used, with Tesco stating that it is coming under considerable pressure and is being used by non-Tesco customers, the planning board where split over whether to approve the new application to vary the planning condition.

Cllr. Tweed told the meeting that he thought that the £5 minimum spend would be punishing shoppers and that three hours could be offered for free and policed by the new camera recognition system that will be in place. "I think you've got it all wrong," he said.

Cllr. Sansome disagreed and said that he thinks the new restrictions would help footfall. Tesco's planning consultants state that the revised controls will ensure that there is a greater turnover of parking to create more freely available spaces for shoppers to visit both the store and shops located in the town centre.

Sympathising with Tesco for providing parking for non-store users, Cllr. Walsh added that "the new plan seems to be a good compromise."

Summing up the application, which needed to be made on material planning conditions, Cllr. Atkin, chair of the planning board, said: "I had mixed feelings about this when I first saw it and we had a frank and open discussion with officers.

"I was won round on the issue that we [Rotherham Council], ourselves charge for our surface car parks in Rotherham. We are expecting Tesco to offer free parking to anybody coming in to Rotherham when we don't do it ourselves. We are being a bit hypocritical. They actually aren't charging, they are just saying: "use our facilities.""

He added that he would have liked to see more proof from the retailer that the car park was being used by non Tesco shoppers but concluded that the application is a reasonable compromise.

The vote to approve the plans was split down the middle at six votes each. Cllr. Atkin's casting vote as chair meant that the plans were approved by the board.

It means that the new "ParkShopReg" system can now be implemented which involves parking being validated on the day of visiting the store. This can be done at store using the machines provided or by using a mobile phone app. A free parking voucher will be printed for customers in store which includes a barcode and voucher code. Drivers will have up until midnight on the day to validate using the app.

Operated by a private firm, those who don't validate their parking or stay longer than three hours will be issued a penalty charge notice of £70, reduced to £40 if paid in 14 days.

Tesco website

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News: Planners deliver Tesco parking verdict

Planning officers at Rotherham Council are recommending that plans be approved to enable Tesco to bring in new parking restrictions at its £40m Extra store in the town centre.

The recommendation on the plans, which would see shoppers wanting to park for over 30 minutes having to spend £5 in the store and register their vehicle, has been made as the condition on the car park in the original application five years ago was based on encouraging other forms of sustainable transport, and not encouraging linked trips into town and boosting footfall.

Rothbiz reported first that the largest retailer in the UK intends to introduce restrictions at its Rotherham Extra store at Drummond Street.

Montagu Evans, consultants for Tesco, state that the retailer is "finding that their car park is coming under considerable pressure and is being used by non-Tesco customers, detracting from the attractiveness of the store as a main food shopping location, and in turn impacting on its trading performance."

The national retailer's planning application seeks a variation over a planning condition inserted by Rotherham Council when the planning application for the 110,000 sq ft superstore was approved in 2012.

Tesco needs the approval if it is to introduce a new system. Validation machines have already been installed in store and the new restrictions are being advertised as "coming soon."

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Now a report to the planning board at Rotherham Council shows that members are being recommended to approve the plans which would vary the condition that enforced a car park plan including details of the availability of two hours free parking for customers and non customers of the store. It was included by the Council "to limit the availability of free parking and to encourage the use of sustainable transport."

On the latest plans, the report sates: "The current variation of the condition would not be contrary to the relevant national and local planning policies and is considered acceptable."

It added that the variation is "not contrary to the spirit of the original condition" and that three hours parking will facilitate linked trips into the town centre.

This was not the view of the Council's regeneration arm, RiDO, which is responsible for the town centre and the nearby markets, who warned that new proposed parking restrictions will have a negative effect.

Commenting on the plans, RiDO said: "There is a high risk of negatively impacting on footfall, and discouraging shoppers who visit the store from also visiting the town centre. The proposals will drive customers away from the markets complex and damage the town centre footfall as a whole."

The applicant states that the revised controls will ensure that there is a greater turnover of parking to create more freely available spaces for shoppers to visit both the store and shops located in the town centre.

The car park currently allows for three hours free parking without the need for any spend in store or validation. The new system will mean that shoppers wanting to use the 600 space car park but not the Tesco store will only be given 30 minutes to head into town before leaving the site.

Those wanting to use the car park will still be able to visit the rest of the town centre in their three hours, so long as they spend £5 at Tesco and validate their parking.

When it opened, the store operated on a 24 hour basis. Opening hours were cut to 6am to midnight last year.

The new "ParkShopReg" system involves parking being validated on the day of visiting the store. This can be done at store using the machines provided or by using a mobile phone app. A free parking voucher will be printed for customers in store which includes a barcode and voucher code. Drivers will have up until midnight on the day to validate using the app.

Those who don't validate their parking or stay longer than three hours will be issued a penalty charge notice of £70, reduced to £40 if paid in 14 days.

Tesco recently reported its first UK sales growth in seven years. Group revenue for the year ending February 28 2017 rose 3.7% to £55.9 billion, though profits were down 28% to £145m after taking a £235m charge relating to the 2014 accounting scandal.

Tesco website

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News: Council stands up to Tesco in parking row

RiDO, the regeneration arm of Rotherham Council, has warned that new proposed parking restrictions at the Tesco Extra store in Rotherham will reduce footfall and discourage shoppers who visit the store from also visiting the town centre.

Council transport officers have raised concerns over the restrictions increasing the number of vehicle trips to the site substantially, and want to know what mitigation is proposed.

Rothbiz reported first that the largest retailer in the UK intends to introduce restrictions at its £40m Rotherham Extra store at Drummond Street.

The national retailer's planning application seeks a variation over a planning condition inserted by Rotherham Council when the planning application for the 110,000 sq ft superstore was approved in 2012.

Tesco needs the approval if it is to introduce a system that would allow shoppers to continue to park for up to three hours, as is the case now, but only if they spend over £5 in store and validate their parking.

Validation machines have already been installed in store and the new restrictions are being advertised as "coming soon."

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A representation from RiDO states that Tesco's expansion from Forge Island has "generally had a positive impact on the town centre" but the impact of the new restrictions could be negative.

The RiDO response reads: "As part of Tesco's approved planning application, one of the conditions was to provide at least 2 hours free parking for customers and non-customers of the store. This has ensured a sustainable turnover of parking spaces, allowing shoppers to enjoy linked trips to both Tesco and the town centre. By removing this option, there is a high risk of negatively impacting on footfall, and discouraging shoppers who visit the store from also visiting the town centre.

"Feedback from businesses and shoppers has identified the important role parking plays in attracting footfall to the town centre, in particular the location and availability of free parking, which acts as a major draw and encourages additional visits.

"Following consultation with the Market Service Committee, members have unanimously objected to the planning application on the grounds that they believe this will drive customers away from the markets complex and damage town centre footfall as a whole."

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Under the plans, shoppers wanting to use the 600 space car park, but not the Tesco store, will only be given 30 minutes to head into town before leaving the site.

Those wanting to use the car park will still be able to visit the rest of the town centre in their three hours, so long as they spend £5 at Tesco and validate their parking.

Ian Ferguson, senior highway development control officer at Rotherham Council, has asked Tesco for a full assessment of the highway / transportation implications of the proposal, stating that: "If the use of the parking is substantially changed by removing the free parking, then the number of trips in total will increase, invalidating the underlying assumptions presented in the [2012] transport assessment. Fundamental changes to the trip assumptions therefore require a reassessment of the transport impact and any additional trips mitigated."

The representation also adds that the Council's Travel Plan Officer has had no communication with Tesco since the travel plan, which is founded on the reduction of single occupancy vehicle trips, was submitted.

Montagu Evans, consultants for Tesco, state that the retailer is "finding that their car park is coming under considerable pressure and is being used by non-Tesco customers, detracting from the attractiveness of the store as a main food shopping location, and in turn impacting on its trading performance."

The reply to the transport comments states that they "consider that the use of the car park will not change substantially, and that the minimum spend will enhance the attractiveness of the store by providing more spaces for Tesco shoppers who may also in turn use Town Centre facilities during their visit."

The applicants add: "We would also note that the implementation of the proposed parking controls could potentially result in increased patronage of other town centre parking facilities as non-Tesco shoppers seek to use other Council run pay and display facilities. We therefore do not consider that the effect of these changes will be to increase the number of trips and invalidate the assumptions presented in the transport assessment."

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News: Tesco's parking manoeuvres

Tesco has submitted a planning application that will provide the permission needed to make changes to the parking restrictions at its Rotherham town centre store - if approved by the local council.

Earlier this month, Rothbiz reported first that the largest retailer in the UK intends to introduce restrictions at its £40m Rotherham Extra store at Drummond Street.

The latest application seeks a variation over a planning condition inserted by Rotherham Council when the planning application for the 110,000 sq ft superstore was approved in 2012.

The national retailer needs the approval if it is to introduce a system that would allow shoppers to continue to park for up to three hours, as is the case now, but only if they spend over £5 in store and validate their parking.

Shoppers wanting to use the 600 space car park but not the Tesco store will only be given 30 minutes to head into town before leaving the site.

Those wanting to use the car park will still be able to visit the rest of the town centre in their three hours, so long as they spend £5 at Tesco and validate their parking.

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The initial condition read: "Prior to the development being brought into use, a Car Parking Management Strategy shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority and the approved plan shall be implemented throughout the life of the store. The plan shall include details of the availability of 2 hours free parking for customers and non customers of the store. Reason: To limit the availability of free parking and to encourage the use of sustainable transport."

Planning consultants, Montagu Evans is acting on behalf of Tesco. Its plans state: "Tesco have operated the store under the provisions of this management to date, but are now finding that their car park is coming under considerable pressure and is being used by non-Tesco customers, detracting from the attractiveness of the store as a main food shopping location, and in turn impacting on its trading performance."

The new "ParkShopReg" system involves parking being validated on the day of visiting the store. This can be done at store using the machines provided or by using an app. A free parking voucher will be printed for customers in store which includes a barcode and voucher code. Drivers will have up until midnight on the day to validate using the app.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras and signs are set to be installed. "Overstayers" or those that don't validate their parking face a fine of £70.

The application adds: "The revised controls will ensure that there are a greater turnover of parking to create more freely available spaces for shoppers to visit both the store and shops located in the town centre. For example, a customer may undertake a half hour shop at the Tesco store where they spend more than £5, and remain in the car park for a further two and a half hours.

"We therefore consider that the revised parking controls are sufficient to allow linked trips with other town centre uses, especially on the basis that its main purpose is to serve the Tesco store."

Built on land purchased from Rotherham Council, the £40m store opened in 2014 and includes 66,000 sq ft of retail space with planning permission granted for an increase of 36,000 sq ft of floorspace over the old store on Forge Island.

Tesco website

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News: Tesco to restrict parking at Rotherham store

Shoppers at the Tesco Extra in Rotherham town centre may need to change how they use the car park at the 110,000 sq ft superstore as the retailer intends to introduce restrictions later this month.

The national retailer is set to introduce a system that would allow shoppers to continue to park for up to three hours, as is the case now, but only if they spend over £5 in store and validate their parking.

Shoppers wanting to use the 600 space car park but not the Tesco store will only be given 30 minutes to head into town before leaving the site.

Those wanting to use the car park will still be able to visit the rest of the town centre in their three hours, so long as they spend £5 at Tesco and validate their parking.

Tesco said that the measures are being brought in "to improve space availability for our customers." When it opened, the store operated on a 24 hour basis. Opening hours were cut to 6am to midnight last year.

The car park currently allows for three hours free parking without the need for any spend in store or validation.

The new measures are set to be introduced on February 28.

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The new "ParkShopReg" system involves parking being validated on the day of visiting the store. This can be done at store using the machines provided or by using an app. A free parking voucher will be printed for customers in store which includes a barcode and voucher code. Drivers will have up until midnight on the day to validate using the app.

Details of any financial penalties have not yet been announced.

The retailer added: "Customers sometimes struggle to find a parking space when stores are near to town centres, train stations or other places where parking is difficult or expensive. The ParkShopReg Management System links customer stay time with spend in store helping to protect spaces for customers."

The £40m store opened in 2014 and includes 66,000 sq ft of retail space with planning permission granted for an additional 36,000 sq ft of floorspace from the old store on Forge Island.

Built on land purchased from Rotherham Council, the authority accepted the provision of free parking at the store as part of the 2011 planning application as it was the same as the arrangements at the old store. It was based on the car park being "made available, free of charge, for use of customers and non-customers for a maximum of two hours."

A condition was attached to the approved planning permission which read: "Prior to the development being brought into use, a Car Parking Management Strategy shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority and the approved plan shall be implemented throughout the life of the store. The plan shall include details of the availability of 2 hours free parking for customers and non customers of the store. Reason: To limit the availability of free parking and to encourage the use of sustainable transport."

Tesco website

Images: TCN UK

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News: Council's Forge Island bid set for sign off

Rotherham Council is getting closer to concluding negotiations with Tesco over the acquisition of Forge Island - the key site in the continued regeneration of Rotherham town centre.

Rothbiz reported first that the authority was preparing a bid to buy the 4.23 acre site that was previously the Rotherham Forge & Rolling Mills.

Currently home to an empty supermarket and a car park following the relocation of Tesco across town in 2014, it was identified as a suitable site for development of a town centre leisure hub as detailed in a council-commissioned planning document which placed bringing a cinema and leisure development to Forge Island as the first "key move" in the town's renaissance.

Commissioner Julie Kenny is being asked to approve the strategic acquisition and empower council bosses to negotiate terms with the vendors. Commercial property agents, Savills listed the Forge Island site in July with Tesco inviting offers from interested parties to purchase the site.

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Approval is also being sought for the funding for the acquisition and demolition to be drawn from the town centre allocation in the Council's capital programme and for a bid to be submitted to Sheffield City Region to seek Growth Fund money to assist with the acquisition and demolition.

The Council is set use its financial firepower to invest around £17m in key projects that have been agreed in principle as those that should be supported. These include a cinema, which in turn is expected to attract secondary restaurant, shop and bar developments. The pot includes provisional sums for the purchase of Forge Island and a "reverse premium" to incentivise a developer or end user to deliver a leisure scheme.

Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed but it is known that the Council had an option to buy the site for £1.5m when Tesco vacated and moved across town to the a £40m store on the site of former council buildings on Drummond Street. Demolition costs are an estimated £251,000 and consultants at Jacobs identified in a 2013 study that around £6m would need to be spent to deal with flooding and ground issues on the site.

The authority will be hoping for a better response from the city region as a bid was knocked back last year for £6m of pubic sector funding via the Local Enterprise Partnership's investment fund for strategic infrastructure investment (SCRIF) when discussions were taking place over a potential 200,000 sq ft office development on Forge Island.

A report to the Council's decision makers states: "It is clear that Forge Island will be a major component of Rotherham town centre's regeneration and a catalyst for the regeneration of adjacent sites. The Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) confirmed the suitability of the site for a leisure hub. Building from the SPD, Forge Island will feature as a major strand of the town centre masterplan."

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The Council has discounted letting the market decide what happens to the site due to uncertainties in terms of timescales and the prospect of development not coming forward in accordance with regeneration aspirations. It has also discounted using compulsory purchase orders (CPO) to acquire the site, again due to the timescales that would be involved.

The report concludes that the Council purchasing the site by agreement is the recommended option as it "provides certainty, subject to reaching agreement with Tesco, in terms of being able to control the future use of the site. Tesco is actively marketing the site and prepared to negotiate on a mutually acceptable price."

Private sector members of Rotherham Partnership's Business Growth Board have taken the view that the acquisition of the site by the Council "will send a clear message to the market that the site will be available at an early stage to deliver the town centre masterplan proposals. This will build confidence in Rotherham town centre as a place to invest and assist in bringing forward other regeneration opportunities. The Business Growth Board would encourage the Council to take all reasonable steps to negotiate the purchase of the site as soon as practicably possible."

With commissioner approval, council officers hope to exchange contracts next month, allowing for the sale to take place and demolition work to begin by the end of 2016.

A detailed development proposal and a delivery and implementation plan for the site will be prepared in tandem with the town centre masterplan which is due to be completed in Spring 2017.

Images: Savills

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News: SVM bags 500 brands worldwide

The latest clients to work with Rotherham-based SVM Global takes the portfolio of brands offered by the leader in the gift card industry to over 500 worldwide.

SVM is the largest reseller and distributor of corporate gift cards, E-vouchers and gift vouchers in the B2B and the corporate gifting market with products used as incentives for sales staff and as part of cementing relationships with clients. The group, which has a turnover of £60m, dispatches over 15 million gift cards every year.

Founded in the US in 1997, the European operations launched in 2008 and has offices in London and at Parkgate, Rotherham, where it employs over 60 staff.

SVM Global are seeing further global success with new partnerships with two based in Ireland and two based in the Netherlands. SVM Global have been focused on growing the global partnerships team, travelling to Saudi in June and also visiting The Netherlands to build relationships with the best known retailers.

The latest signings include Waterstones, Superdry and Mango.

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One of the biggest deals is the exclusive partnership with Tesco, with SVM recognising Tesco's B2B Gifting programme as one of the top sellers of the year to date.

Sales of Tesco Gift Cards and Codes have increased month on month since the start of the year, and there was a significant uptake when HRH The Queen was seen being gifted a £50 Tesco Gift Card in the National press.

Tesco is at present the only supermarket to offer digital gift cards in the B2B sector but SVM has set it sights on the others.

SVM said that it has been undertaking "significant work" to ensure that orders of Tesco Gift Cards are received quicker, fulfilled efficiently and that the website is incredibly easy to monitor and report from.

Karl Vogeler, head of Tesco for Business, said: "SVM Global have been incredibly supportive of our ambition to become a true leader in the B2B Gifting Sector, especially with our move towards digital redemption. At Tesco we're very focused on the customer, moving away from looking at digital gift card purchases as simply B2C or B2B, but instead providing a really simple way to access digital gift cards, whatever they will be used for."

Joanne Peake, partnership director at SVM Global, added: "It is a continuous pleasure for us to support Tesco in becoming strong leaders within the digital gift card market, helping to provide an exceptional customer experience whilst delivering an effective innovative solution.

"There is a highly focused team behind this ongoing project to ensure, as a successful key partner, Tesco for Business sees the growth we envisage and are continually working towards."

SVM Global website

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News: Eastwood pub conversion moves on

Updated plans that would enable the Cranworth Hotel in Rotherham to be converted into a retail outlet have been submitted by One Stop Stores Limited - the convenience store business that is a subsidiary of Tesco.

The business has over 750 shops and focuses "on being the best store for customers in the neighbourhood." Operating a successful franchise model, a number of independent stores have transformed to become part of the One Stop brand.

The Punch Taverns property had been advertised for sale by Barnsdales and detailed plans were first submitted in 2014 as the Eastwood pub was under the threat of closure. They detailed alterations to the front elevation and improvement to the parking area.

The plans attracted opposition and a petition of over 1,000 names objecting to the plans as they believed that they would lead to a change of use of the public house to a convenience store.

Under national rules, a change of use of a building from a Public House (Class A4) to a shop (Class A1) would be classed as "permitted development" and would not require planning permission.

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The plans were refused by the planning board at Rotherham Council who decided that the alterations were "not in character with the use of the building as a public house and would have a detrimental impact on the external appearance and character of the building." The vote came after planners at Rotherham Council concluded that replacing the existing entrance with a glazing panel and a new double sliding door entrance was acceptable in planning terms.

Revisions were made to plans to ensure that the original character of the building is preserved and that the front elevation of Cranworth Hotel by virtue of its design and materials would form an acceptable alteration.

The decision was appealed by the applicants and the pub closed shortly after. Following a site visit in 2015, the appeal was allowed and planning permission for the alterations was granted.

In her report, planning inspector Louise Crosby, said: "The building is currently in use as a public house, but there are fears by the landlady and many local residents that the property will be changed to a small express style supermarket if this appeal is allowed. The change of use of the building is not a matter before me. Moreover, the change of use of a public house to a shop can take place without the need for planning permission."

The latest plans from One Stop Stores, drawn up by consultants at calfordseaden LLP, are for the installation of new entrance doors, an ATM, the removal of two windows to side elevation, external security store to the side of the building, and external air conditioning units.

Research by The Rotherham Civic Society shows that The Cranworth Hotel was opened on Fitzwilliam Road in September 1934 and the first landlord was William Humphries.

One Stop website

Images: Barnsdales

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News: Extra £2.9m for Rotherham Council as part of Tesco deal

Every Little Helps. Especially when your central grant from the Government is cut by £19m.

Rotherham Council has received an additional £2.934m as part of the sale of the site of the former civic buildings on Drummond Street - now home to a new £40m town centre Tesco Extra store.

The council agreed the £7.3m sale of its former town centre civic site with developers, TCN UK in 2013 which enabled the £41m required for a new Tesco development to be secured.

Following the land deal, real estate investment specialists, Osprey Equity Partners finalised its Osprey Income and Growth 2 LP fund, having raised £16.9m of equity from private investors and £23.75m of debt from HSBC Bank. It forward funded the food superstore which was pre-let to Tesco on a 30 year unbroken lease.

The new Tesco includes 66,000 sq ft of retail space with planning permission granted for an additional 36,000 sq ft of floorspace from the old store on Forge Island. The plans showed 14,000 sq ft of convenience and 22,000 sq ft of comparison goods with the additional floorspace allowing for a greater range of products such as clothing, books, CDs and household electrical goods to be sold from the new store.

The new supermarket opened in November triggering an overage payment of £2.9m due to the council. An overage is an additional payment made after the original deal and is often used when certain conditions are met - securing planning permission, practical completion of the development, sale or lease of the development. They are often used by the public sector to ensure that they secure "best value" when selling land and take into account the increase in value of the land when commercial development subsequently occurs.

The figure was revealed at a recent council meeting and comes as central Government announces the Local Government Finance Settlement, which will see local councils receive 8.8% less funding from Government to run local services in April 2015. Rotherham's Settlement Funding Assessment (SFA) - the amount allocated to each council - is £19.5m (15.2%) less than in 2014/15 compared with a national decrease of 12.4%. Councils are being expected to rely on non-guaranteed income from elsewhere, such as increases in business rates and the New Homes Bonus.

Rotherham Council secured over £15m by selling off assets in the last two years. Rotherham Council's latest budget included a £23m savings package put together in response to further massive reductions in Government funding. £70m has been cut from its budget since 2010 with £20m plus savings needed next year too.

A recent scrutiny review by borough councillors into how the council can support the local economy outlines its first recommendation as ensuring that the emerging Growth Plan is focused around two key objectives – income generation and employment creation.

In addition to creating jobs for local people and the regeneration of deprived communities the plan should look at generating income via an increase for the Council in business rates and council tax.

Images: Tesco

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News: Final curtain for Forge Island cinema plan?

Rotherham Council has switched its focus away from a cinema and theatre development on the vacant Forge Island site in Rotherham town centre.

In 2012, the council's cabinet confirmed the prominent site as the preferred location for a new town centre cinema and theatre and developers and operators were sought. In the short term, the council is operating the former home of the Rotherham Forge & Rolling Mills as a car park now that Tesco has moved across the town.

The new £40m, 110,000 sq ft Tesco Extra opened in November and also includes 540 parking spaces and a petrol filling station, on a five-acre site on Drummond Street that was previously home to a number of council buildings.

As part of the move, the council has an option to buy the Forge Island site for £1.5m. Arrangements have been progressed for the strategic acquisition of the vacated site, which could include a purchase and sale to a third party.

The future of the site was highlighted in the recently published final draft of the borough's Local Plan that stated that "the future of the site is uncertain, as are any constraints (such as land contamination). As such it is not identified as a leisure or office development site."

Now, council bosses have confirmed that the Forge Island site is being earmarked for an ambitious plan to create a public sector hub, which could result in thousands of additional jobs in the town centre.

Cllr. Dominic Beck, cabinet member for Business Growth and Regeneration, gave an update at a full council meeting last week on the progress on the site. He said: "We are looking at other options for Forge Island, which will be coming out in the next month or so, in terms of potentially delivering a public sector hub.

"Working with the Government to move the civil service increasingly out of London because it is expensive, we are working with the Cabinet office to potentially deliver a public sector hub on Forge Island.

"We are one of the leaders in the country in doing this. Riverside House was one of the first "hubs" of local government and public sector hub working and they are coming to us to have a conversation about how they can do that in Rotherham.

"It would be a huge coup but we don't know at the end of the day. We have got plans, and we are working with others to come up with plans."

Rothbiz featured the idea in August after it was mentioned by the planning inspector signing off the core strategy of the borough's local plan. Richard Hollox, planning inspector, said in his report: "One of the objectives of the Economic Plan for Rotherham 2008 – 2020 is to secure a vibrant town centre with a high quality office market. This is a worthy ambition and should result in a greater range of employment opportunities and less commuting to, for example, Sheffield.

"Of note is the Council's interest in the possibility of a Public Sector Hub whereby public sector departments would share accommodation on an office campus. This, the Council considers, could result in an additional 5,000 jobs in the town."

In 2012, Riverside House became Rotherham's new Civic Building on the edge of the town centre on the Guest & Chrimes site. Bringing together staff from a number of locations, the £60m investment houses 2,400 employees at only 1,308 desks.

The Waverley development in Rotherham was all set to create a government office campus on land next to the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). Helical Bar plc, Governetz Ltd and Haworth Estates worked together with the intention to provide high specification offices for government departments in response to a desire to move activities out of central London and into the regions.

Outline plans for a 645,000 sq ft development, enough space for 2,000 staff, were approved but changes in government and large scale cuts meant that the plans were shelved.

With plans coming forward for cinema developments in the nearby town centres of Barnsley and Doncaster, will Rotherham get is first cinema 30 years after The Scala closed on Corporation Street?

Cllr Beck added: "The development of the town centre does not just include Forge Island but it includes other elements of the town such as the Guest & Chrimes building - and the football club have got their own proposals around that - there's all the way down Westgate and the Royal Mail depot, to deliver projects."

The local plan picks out a number of sites where mixed use development such as a cinema (known as "assembly and leisure" uses) are considered appropriate. These include land at New York, which includes Riverside House, New York Stadium, the former Guest & Chrimes foundry, a former nightclub and vacant land used for parking.

The current car park on Drummond Street and the site out of the outdoor market have been identified as potential development sites for new retail alongside the site of burnt-out buildings on Corporation Street but they all also have the potential for redevelopment as other town centre uses, including offices, assembly and leisure uses or hotels.

The prominent Westgate site of the sorting office and car parking is being put forward for housing, office and hotel uses.

Images: Tom Austen / RMBC

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